


Never Judge A Shadowhunter By Their Scent

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: (Does not actually happen), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Cuddling, Eventual Actual Communication, Frottage, Happily Ever After, Happy Ending, Immortal Husbands, Incorrect assumptions, Kissing, Leadership, M/M, Mentions of theoretical non-con, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Scenting, Sexual Favors offered as payment, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, True Mates, biting kink, marking kink, no actual non-con, nuzzling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld, has sworn, after the Second Uprising, to never work with the Clave again, and has banned any warlock from doing so.However, when the New York Institute refuses to respect that, and continues attempting to contact him, Magnus takes a moment to personally dismiss them.Only then, the Head of the New York Institute offers the impossible - a night with a virgin, unclaimed omega in return for the healing of their people.  Furious, and ready to kill the Head of the Institute for daring to offer up an omega like that, Magnus accepts the offer, fully intending to rescue the poor omega.It turns out, however, that he's underestimated the Head of the New York Institute - Alec Lightwood.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 718
Kudos: 1430





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lawsofchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawsofchaos/gifts).



> COUPLE OF QUICK NOTES!!! 
> 
> First and foremost, the prompt for this fic from the ever-incredible Lawsofchaos is sizeable (including the add-on thoughts) so I'm pasting it at the bottom of this. Also, the character of Isaiah, Alec's Second, belongs to Laws - I'm just borrowing him with her permission so Alec can have a much-needed father figure for all of this mess!! 
> 
> Secondly this prompt (to the shock of absolutely no one I'm sure) ran the HELL away from me! So this will be a multi-chapter fic, and then a tag-on chapter as an epilogue! 
> 
> Without further ado, the prompt: 
> 
> Omegaverse-in which secondary genders are private and not readily apparent to others unless two people are either a) true mates or b) having sex and able see each other's 'bits'
> 
> The Downworld united under Magnus Bane to fight back against Valentine, and, as a result, largely separated themselves from the Clave after they successfully fought back the Circle. The NYI, under the leadership of its Head, Alec Lightwood, needs the services of a powerful warlock for [super dire plot reason] and Magnus refuses, saying no money is enough to justify working with the Clave again. The NYI is desperate though- dozens of their people will die if they don't get Magnus' help. (Magnus isn't aware of this at the time- they're communicating via fire message instead of in person.)
> 
> Finally, as a last resort, Alec offers Magnus a night with an unclaimed, virgin omega if he'll help them. Omegas are incredibly rare, maybe a handful in every generation, and they're absolutely treasured in both societies, but especially so among the Downworld. (Bonus points if this is because warlock or nephilim omegas are the one and only way for warlocks to have a child.)
> 
> Magnus is horrified that Lightwood would even for a minute think to barter with an omega like that. He knows what the Clave teaches for how the Downworld treats omegas (disgusting lies and blasphemy), but he thought Lightwood would at least care more for his own people than that. Magnus doesn't know why he's surprised though- it's a Lightwood after all.
> 
> Magnus accepts with the sole intention of rescuing the omega from a leader who would do that to him, waiting that night in the loft for the poor thing to show up having likely been ordered to lie back and think of Idris. (Magnus is seething with rage. He may well kill Lightwood for this.)
> 
> There's a knock on Magnus' door. 
> 
> He opens it and his jaw drops. The omega is Alec. 
> 
> Alec sacrificed himself, not one of his people.

Magnus scowled as a fire message flew through the air, hovering beside him before he snagged it and brought it down. Barely skimming the letter, he caught sight of the name and shook his head, letting the rest of it burn into ash before returning his attention to Raphael in front of him. 

  
"Apologies, Raphael," Magnus said, forcing himself to refocus. 

  
Raphael raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "That's the sixth fire message you've received in the seven or so hours you've been at the club tonight. Are they all from the same person?" 

  
Magnus shook his head. "They're all from the Institute, but they have arrived from at least two different people that I am aware of. The last three have been from the Head. Apparently, the latest in the line of Lightwoods has at last _deigned_ to contact me." 

  
Raphael scoffed. "Circle sympathizers," he barked. He rolled his shoulders impatiently. "What do they want?" 

  
"They want to hire me," Magnus said, summoning the potion that Raphael was there to collect to his fingertips. "Of course, I will never again work with the Nephilim after the Second Uprising, as everyone here well knows." 

  
A smirk curled Raphael's lips and he nodded, taking the potion from Magnus. "Everyone except that Lightwood, apparently." He frowned, remembering something. "Didn't you inform them that they would find no help from the downworld after you-"

  
"Put a Nephilim blade through Valentine's heart?" Magnus asked, his voice bland as he took a sip of his drink. "Yes. Looked right in Maryse and Robert Lightwood's eyes as I did it. Very satisfying, I must say." 

  
"I can imagine," Raphael agreed. "And then when you negotiated the formal separation for all of us, they have no right to reach out for help." 

  
Magnus nodded. "If it were any other Institute, I would at least entertain the idea. They are persistent, after all, and that does indicate a matter of some urgency." His eyes sharpened. "But I will never work for a Lightwood. No downworlder in New York will. Too many of us fell to their blades when they stood beside Valentine." 

  
"Agreed," Raphael said, tightening his hand around the potion. "If they continue to harass you, perhaps it's time for a reminder?" 

  
Magnus' grin was sharp and dangerous. "We shall have to see what happens my friend. I know that we would both enjoy that a very great deal." 

  
The rest of the downworld was quiet, and after Raphael went home with the heat suppressant potion, Magnus stood up from his seat and surveyed the downworlders in the club. He took a deep breath and let his head hang. Whatever it was that the Institute supposedly wanted, it wouldn't-

  
The flicker of another fire message had him snarling, and Magnus grabbed it out of the air, focusing on the words. 

_   
**High Warlock Bane,** _

**_  
Your services are required at the New York Institute. We will pay whatever you ask for the healings that you provide. Urgency is needed in order to prevent lives from being lost._ **

**_  
Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute_ **

  
Magnus narrowed his eyes as he read over the letter and summoned parchment and a pen to his hand. This Lightwood would learn the same lessons that his parents did. Following a genocidal maniac would have repercussions, especially after the shadowhunters of the New York Institute refused to do anything to assist in stopping him. 

  
He penned a quick response and sent it off in a flicker of magic. Irritation had magic sparking over his skin and his people were keeping a wide berth from him. _Good._ He was certainly in no mood to do anything about their problems, with the New York Institute attempting to get him inside those cursed walls. 

  
Magnus tightened his hands on the banister.

  
The next time he willingly set foot in the New York Institute, it would be to tear the very stones down to their foundation after what their negligence had cost the downworld. 

  
~!~

  
Alec stared at the fire message in his fingertips, his eyes closing in resignation. Andrew muffled a cough from across him, and Alec met his eyes, knowing that it would only be another day before his eyes were glossy and pale, just like the dozens of other Shadowhunters in the infirmary. 

  
"Well?" Andrew asked. He coughed again. 

  
"Based on that look," Isaiah said, looking from the note to Alec's face. "I am going to guess that he refused, again." He snorted. "Least he sent you a response instead of ignoring you this time." 

  
Alec swallowed and pushed his fingers through his hair and allowed himself to slump back in the chair in front of the two men who knew him better than almost any other. "He said there was no price in this world that could persuade him to ever work with the Clave again." 

  
"Fuck," Isaiah breathed. "And if he has blacklisted you, you know that all the other warlocks will as well, they always follow his lead." 

  
Alec gave a terse nod, rubbing anxiously at his hair. "Carla Mayweather? How is she?" 

  
Andrew stiffened at the mention of the young girl, the first one who had gotten sick in the Institute. "The Healers aren't sure she's going to make it to dawn, sir." 

  
Alec clenched his eyes shut and took a slow, shaky breath, thinking of the precocious eleven-year old who reminded him so much of Max. "What haven't we offered him that he might be willing to accept?" 

  
Silence greeted his question, and Alec felt the weight of it settle onto his shoulders. Both the alpha and beta in front of him had helped him to come up with all of the different payments he had offered to the alpha of the downworld, Magnus Bane, but he had refused to entertain any of them. A blank check, whatever Magnus Bane would have demanded had been their last resort, but even that had been turned away. 

  
Even the mention of lives being lost hadn't been enough to sway Bane, and Alec bit down the uncomfortable realization that he might have misjudged the warlock he knew through reputation only. He had thought, when Bane would realize that lives, _children's_ lives were at stake, he would request an exorbitant price and do the healing. But now, with one more rejection letter in his hand, Alec was out of ideas on how to help his people. 

  
This was how they would lose an entire generation of shadowhunters, if not the entire Institute. 

  
Whatever disease was sweeping through their ranks could be slowed down by iratzes, but it couldn't be cured by any mundane or angelic medicine. They needed warlock healing, they needed healing that was no longer available to them since the downworld had separated from the Clave. Alec bit down a snarl and stood up, well-aware that both Isaiah and Andrew were watching, waiting for his decision, for his order. 

  
He imagined sending the letter, the first of what could be hundreds, depending on how long he stayed healthy himself, to the parents of the children who had all gotten sick because they had shared a dormitory. Alec stepped in front of the fire and stared into it, his mind racing for any ideas that they hadn't already exhausted. 

  
Every warlock contact he'd reached out to had ignored him or responded that Magnus would be the only one to speak with. Dozens of warlocks, and none of them were willing to help _children._ Alec snarled and bared his teeth, breathing hard, staring at the fire, angry tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. His fingers dug into the wood of the sill and he could smell Andrew and Isaiah both becoming more worried about him by the second. 

  
That was enough to give him an idea. 

  
A horrific, unheard of, idea.

  
Alec swallowed and let out a quiet breath, closing his eyes. 

  
For his people, he would do anything. Even this. Anything, if it meant keeping them alive, safe, and healthy. The thought of Carla dying, now, after she had fought so hard was repulsive, and it was all the impetuous he needed. "We have **me,"** he said, his voice soft.

  
"What?" 

  
_"Sir!"_

  
Alec turned to look at them, at his Second, and his Head of Security. He swallowed down the fear that wanted to consume him and lifted his chin, looking at them. "You know how much they're, _we're_ prized. If I offer him a night-"

  
"Sir," Andrew interrupted. "You wouldn't be safe." 

  
Alec quirked an eyebrow at Andrew and smiled. "We have no evidence to say that Magnus Bane is cruel to anyone other than those who hunt his people down. I have no doubt that if he were to accept, I would be returned in perfect working order." 

  
Isaiah stared at Alec and then to the fire. "It's entirely possible that he could tell everyone. Release the information to the downworld, and to the Nephilim. The price on your head, the death threats alone would see massive increases." 

  
"Well," Alec said with a huff, closing his eyes. "Good thing I'm already used to that, right?" Neither of them said a word, but the finality in his tone was enough to communicate that this was as good as done. If Bane accepted the offer. 

  
_If._

  
Alec sat down at his desk and picked up a piece of paper. "Andrew, begin making preparations for me to be unavailable for a period of twenty-four hours. Likely starting this evening." 

  
Andrew nodded, snapping to attention. "Yes, sir." 

  
Alec watched him go, leaving him and Isaiah alone in the room. He turned to look at his Second and was grateful for the calm that the alpha was exuding, even though it wasn't enough to prevent his nerves. "I need you to deliver the letter to Bane. I won't risk this going ignored." 

  
Isaiah frowned. "Alec." 

  
"It's all right," Alec said, taking a deep breath before beginning to write. He kept the letter short and sweet, as he had all his past letters. "It's just one night. You'll know where I will be." 

  
"I don't think it's a good idea to have me deliver it," Isaiah said. "What you're offering-"

  
"I would spend a year in his bed if it meant that no one dies in the next few days," Alec snapped, lifting his eyes to Isaiah. "It is not too high a price, and it is mine to offer," he added, his scent curling with certainty. 

  
Isaiah gave a nod. "Send him the message. If he accepts, then prepare yourself as best you can to be safe. I'll pick you up and if we need to-"

  
"Yes," Alec agreed, looking down at the paper in front of him. "Inform my brother and sister that I'm not to be disturbed and that I will be gone for more than a day." 

  
"Yes sir," Isaiah said. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, sorrow bleeding into his scent. _"Thank you,"_ he added, before stepping to the door, shutting it behind himself. 

  
Alec clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to take another breath before he finished writing the letter to Magnus Bane. With a flourish, he sent off what would be, hopefully, the final fire message between them both. 

  
~!~

  
Magnus was mid-laugh, Dmitri sprawled across his lap in the most delicious way when the fire message fluttered through the air. But unlike the others, this one was red, indicating the urgency of it and he snagged it, helping his companion off of his lap for a moment while he unfolded the letter. 

_   
**High Warlock Bane,** _

**_  
You say there is no price you would be willing to accept in return for your services._ **

**_  
However, I am offering a single night, and day, with an unclaimed, virgin omega, in exchange for the healing magics needed to save my people's lives._ **

**_  
If you accept, they will arrive at your door at a time of your choosing and remain for a period of 24 hours after you have healed those that require it at the Institute._ **

**_  
If you refuse, the deaths of more than twenty-seven children will be on your hands, and I don’t believe either of us wants that._ **

**_  
Andrew Underhill will organize your upcoming visit._ **

**_  
Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute_ **

  
Anger was an old and familiar friend to Magnus. The letter was shaking in his hand and he stood up off the couch, moving away from the people crowding around him. He could barely breathe through the fury threatening to suffocate him as he made his way to his office, sitting down in the chair behind his desk, dropping the letter onto the table and his face into his hands. 

  
Magnus re-read it a second, and a third time to ensure that not a single word had been misrepresented. No. It was true. Alec Lightwood had offered up one of his own people as a sacrifice to save the lives of others. He was well-aware of what the Nephilim thought the downworld did with their omegas. Tortured them, made them sex slaves, or worse, drinking their potent blood, using it for spells, and forcing them into a life of servitude. Magnus had seen the Clave texts himself. 

  
Of course, not a single piece of it was true. Omegas were...

  
Magnus swallowed hard and closed his eyes. Omegas were a _treasure_ and every single downworlder knew it. Knew how important they were, and how rare they were. There was only a handful born every few decades, and they were some of the sweetest and strongest people Magnus knew. 

  
Omegas were, of course, the only way for warlocks to have children, which added to their prized nature. Magnus sucked in a frantic breath and stared down at the letter. 

  
_Unclaimed, virgin omega._

  
A shudder of revulsion crawled up his spine as Magnus stared at the handwriting. He had the measure of Alec Lightwood and who he was as a person, a leader, and a despicable alpha, sitting in front of him. Lightwood probably had wanted to keep that omega for himself, or hell, maybe the omega was his, and Lightwood saw the poor thing as his property to give away as he chose. 

  
Making a split-second decision, Magnus snapped himself into a new outfit and opened a portal. 

  
~!~

  
Alec sat in silence in his office until the alarms across the Institute blared, sending everyone into high alert. He whipped out his phone, but Underhill was already calling him. He swiped the call open as he stepped to the door. 

  
Andrew didn't waste any time. "Magnus Bane portaled just inside our wards." 

  
Alec nearly dropped the phone in relief, sagging against the door, a ragged breath escaping him. He'd _accepted._ That had been enough. Alec swallowed hard and forced himself to breathe. "Escort him to the infirmary. Get everyone healed, and if he knows a way to prevent it or inoculate the rest of us against it, get it from him as part of the payment." 

  
"Yes, sir," Andrew said. "Your leave has been organized. As soon as I know the timeframe, I'll inform you." 

  
Alec swallowed again and licked his lips, his mouth filled with cotton before he forced himself to straighten his shoulders. This was going to save his people. That was all that mattered. A night and day with a warlock were not going to kill him, and it would save so many others. 

  
That was all he had to remember. 

  
His hands trembled, even as he remained leaning against his door, breathing hard. 

  
~!~

  
Magnus crossed his arms over his chest and resisted the urge to tap his foot as he waited. Thankfully, it was less than a minute before a blonde shadowhunter was exiting the Institute to stride towards him. He blinked briefly in surprise when a hand was thrust towards him, shaking it on pure muscle memory. "Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld," he said. 

  
"Andrew Underhill, Head of Security for the New York Institute. If you could follow me, High Warlock Bane, I'll show you to our infirmary. I also have all of the notes and information we have compiled on the illness to provide to you," he added, offering Magnus the folder before he began to climb the stairs. 

  
Magnus frowned and followed the shadowhunter up the stairs, flipping through the pages. The multiple pictures, that spanned four pages, had him lengthening his strides. The Head of the Institute had not been exaggerating and had not overestimated the severity of the problem. 

  
Magnus stepped into the sickbay and froze, his eyes widening in horror. 

_  
Demonic Coxillia.  _

  
He'd recognize the stench anywhere. Magnus looked at the Head of Security. "Who had it first?" he growled. "I need to see them now." 

  
"One of our new trainees, her name is Carla Mayweather," Underhill said, leading the way into a separate room. He paused to cough into his elbow. "It's not contagious that we have been able to find, but it is working its way through the Institute." 

  
"Yourself included I imagine," Magnus said, stepping into the room with the young girl laid out on pale sheets. Her skin was almost the same color white and the few runes she sported were too dark on her skin. 

  
Underhill acknowledged the question with a nod. "Do you know what this is?" 

  
Magnus held up a hand and walked up to the girl, taking her hand. He pushed magic into her and nearly gasped at how advanced the disease was. Her vital organs were starting to shut down. He grunted and pushed more power into her, eradicating it under the sheer force of his power. Once her chest was rising and falling easier, he looked to the blonde shadowhunter in the doorway. "How many infected?" he growled. 

  
"Eighty-four in total. We have another six expected cases," Andrew said, his hands behind his back. 

  
Magnus paused and took a deep breath to assimilate that number. He could have healed maybe a dozen cases on his own, but an outbreak of that magnitude...

  
He took another deep breath and looked back to the blonde shadowhunter. "I need to know everything about Carla's whereabouts before she got sick. Include her belongings, any mail that she has received, and her weapons. Anywhere she has been, anything she has touched." 

  
Andrew frowned. "Why?" 

  
"Because," Magnus managed to grit out. "Demonic Coxillia is the equivalent of wildly lethal demon pox and it  _ is  _ contagious because whatever she caught it from is clearly still in your Institute." 

  
Andrew's eyes widened and he whipped out his phone, hitting an alert. "We'll have that information right away. In the meantime. The others?" 

  
Magnus stared down at the young girl in the bed. Twenty-seven children, Lightwood had said. "Get started on that information for me. I need to call in more warlocks. I can't heal them all." 

  
"Is there a cure?" Underhill asked. "Or a way we can-"

  
"If we find out what is contaminated, it will stop spreading," Magnus growled. "There is no cure other than to burn the disease out of a person with magic." Another sigh of frustration built up in his throat, and he remembered that Lightwood was willing to pay with another person for this healing. 

  
Andrew cleared his throat. "Is there anything further that you need to assist us, High Warlock Bane?" 

  
Magnus shook his head. "After I bring in the other warlocks, we shouldn't need anything." 

  
"Very well," Andrew said, making a note on his tablet. "Then the last thing I will require from you will be an address." 

  
"An address?" he asked, looking at him. When the blonde shadowhunter hesitated, Magnus fought down another growl, his magic roiling uncomfortably. An address the omega could be _delivered_ to. Like they were less than human, a package to be delivered and picked up later. He waved a hand and summoned his business card with the address of his loft in Brooklyn, giving it to the shadowhunter. 

  
He pushed past the blonde and pulled out his phone. Magnus stared at Catarina's number and hit dial on it. Thankfully, she answered, and there was no hectic sound of the hospital behind it. 

  
"Magnus, here I was wondering where you disappeared to last night-"

  
"The shadowhunters have a severe outbreak of Demonic Coxillia," Magnus interrupted her, knowing they didn't have time to waste. "I need you, Ragnor, Oberon, Lorenzo, and Alannia. **Now."**

  
Catarina's attention sharpened. "How many?" 

  
"Estimated ninety." Magnus' face was grim as he listened to Catarina gasp. "It sounds like more than a dozen are less than twelve hours away from dying. Until we find the source, it's likely there will be more." 

  
"Lilith below," Catarina swore. "I'll be there shortly." 

  
Magnus met the blonde shadowhunter's eyes and nodded. "Someone will be waiting outside the Institute wards to receive you. I'll take care of any compensation they demand." 

  
"I'll be there," Catarina promised. "Don't kill yourself trying to heal them. We'll be there soon." 

  
Magnus closed his eyes and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. The sound of the blonde shadowhunter coughing behind him had him turning. "Come here," he ordered. "I'll do you next, since you need to escort them in." 

  
Andrew hesitated, before he nodded. If Alec was going to be gone from the Institute and under the power of the man in front of him, he needed to be around to run interference. "Very well." 

  
"Good," Magnus said, stepping in front of him. "You're not as far along. It might feel weird," he cautioned, resting his hands on the shoulders of the shadowhunter, his magic chasing the disease, burning it out of him. Thankfully, it hadn't advanced far yet and he pulled his hands back with a nod. 

  
Andrew blinked and stared at the High Warlock, even as he spun away and into another hospital room in the infirmary. He tightened his fingers around his tablet. He needed to remind himself that Bane was only doing this because of what he was being given. He'd refused any possible payment except...

  
He shook himself and sent a message to the rest of Security, informing them of the additional warlocks that would be arriving. They had work to do. 


	2. Chapter 2

As much as Alec wanted to hide in his office while Bane (and the other warlocks he had brought with him) were working, he couldn't afford it. Especially when they found the source of the sickness. The polish for the seraph blades had been mixed with contaminated ichor. Every shadowhunter who had used the standard polish had been infected. No wonder it had spread so quickly, and through the children, since they had been learning to maintain their weapons. 

  
Alec stared at the report, glad that it had at least been dealt with and it would no longer continue to spread. He flipped through another report in Operations and looked up as loud conversation came from the Infirmary. He watched the warlocks leave the room, one by one, all of them looking drained and exhausted. 

  
He squared his shoulders and ordered himself not to think about the _later,_ about the _**price,** _and stepped in front of them in the hallway, in full view of his people. Alec was well aware that he needed to send a message and this would be the best way to do it. Thankfully, of course, they all smelled like the antibacterial and antiseptic scents from the Infirmary, so any emotions wouldn’t come across through scent. 

  
Magnus frowned at the shadowhunter stopping their leaving. He was tall, dark hair, and piercing hazel eyes, still clearly in patrol leathers, despite no weapons immediately obvious on his person. Who was this? He looked around, but the Head of Security that had been shadowing them all for hours was gone. 

  
"On behalf of the New York Institute shadowhunters, I would like to thank you all for your time, your energy, and the healing provided," Alec started, meeting each of their eyes, one at a time. He could tell he'd surprised them, but he wasn't going to pretend he wasn't grateful. "You saved us, and you saved..." he swallowed awkwardly. "Arguably, you saved every single shadowhunter in this Institute, and a generation of children. Thank you." He bit down the urge to say that they were indebted, because they weren't. Bane had accepted a price, only _one_ price.

  
Magnus could feel the surprise in his people, and stepped forward to meet the shadowhunter, resisting the urge to wrinkle his nose. He disliked not being able to get a proper measure of someone’s scent. "You're Alec Lightwood, aren't you?" he asked, barely managing to keep the snarl from his voice. 

  
Alec nodded, his full attention on the warlock in front of him. It was easy to feel the power bleeding off the man and his breath caught at how beautiful he was up close like this. "Yes, I am." 

  
Magnus kept himself from reaching out to kill the man in front of him. The man who valued one of his people so lowly they would sell them for healing. He nodded his head. "Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld. You will **not** see us again." Magnus didn't look back as he stepped around the shadowhunter and walked out of the New York Institute, creating a portal the second he was out of the reach of the wards. 

  
He stepped into his apartment, glad that Catarina and Ragnor followed him, and closed the portal behind them. "I'm going to kill that man," he promised, his eyes dark as he turned to look at them. "That, supposed leader, who would _sell_ the virginity of one of his own to us, as though it were something that _belonged_ to him, and, and..."

  
"Magnus," Ragnor said, stepping in close. "This is how the shadowhunters view omegas. As property. We've known this for centuries. It isn't right, and the best thing we can do right now is to get that omega away from Lightwood. Get them protected, safe." 

  
Magnus forced himself to nod and breathe out slowly. "The omega will be _delivered,"_ he sneered. "To me later this evening. I will have them for an entire day." 

  
Catarina flinched. "Those were the terms?" 

  
Magnus summoned the letter to his fingers and offered it to Catarina. "As you see here." 

  
Catarina frowned as she read over the letter. "Magnus," she asked, her voice quiet. "Did you listen to the shadowhunters today?" 

  
Magnus frowned at her. "What?" 

  
"The shadowhunters, especially the kids," she said. "After we healed them." 

  
Magnus shook his head. "No. Why?" 

  
"They _adore_ him. Alec Lightwood. He has a weekly training class with them, and he'd promised them that he would help them to get the healing they need," she said, her voice soft. "They talked about him, the way people talk about _you,_ Magnus." 

  
_"I don't care!"_ Magnus snapped. "So he's good with kids, that doesn't change the fact that he sold, that he  _ sold  _ one of his people's sexual favors to me!" His throat closed and he leaned against the wall by his bar cart. "Do you think he even asked whoever it is?" he whispered, his eyes falling shut. "Do you think he asked, or is it just going to be another order from their Institute Head that they have to follow?" 

  
Both Catarina and Ragnor were silent at the question and Magnus nodded, trying to force himself to breathe through that realization. "I'm not going to let them go back to him. Ragnor, you're right. We'll have to find a way to help them, whoever they are." 

  
Ragnor nodded. "Very well. I can absolutely do whatever is needed in order to assist them. We can go to my home in England." 

  
_"Good,"_ Magnus breathed, closing his eyes. "Fuck, I bet they were told to lie back and think of Idris." Another shudder of revulsion crawled up his spine and he could smell the way both Catarina and Ragnor's scents went flat. 

  
Catarina sighed. "If nothing else, this does prove one thing I think we need to discuss at the next Council meeting, Magnus." 

  
Magnus looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "What?" 

  
"Removing the Clave moratorium." 

  
Magnus growled and poured himself a drink, striding to the window. "They abandoned us when we were dying in the streets, slaughtered by their own." 

  
Catarina nodded. "I am aware, Magnus, and no one has hesitated in following the moratorium on any jobs for shadowhunters. But I do not want the blood of children on my hands. No warlock does, and that is what would have happened today." 

  
Magnus closed his eyes and sighed, giving a nod, acknowledging the point. "Healing and warding," he said. "As jobs we can be hired for by the shadowhunters." By both his friend's smiles, they approved of the decision. "I'll speak of it tomorrow night." 

  
"All right," Ragnor said with a grunt. "With that, I'm going to go prepare my house for an untimely guest. Do try to have them relatively coherent before you drop them into my lap," Ragnor requested. 

  
Magnus snorted. "No promises. They'll probably think that I'm going to be kidnapping them and taking them away to my sex dungeon or whatever it is that the Nephilim tell their kids that we do to omegas these days." 

  
Ragnor nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what did happen," he agreed with a put upon sigh. "Either way, we'll take care of them." He gave Catarina a quick smile. "I imagine I'll be hearing from you soon, Magnus." 

  
Magnus watched Ragnor step through a portal and turned to look at Catarina. Her face was contemplative and it made him wonder if he was doing the right thing, kidnapping his omega that had been sacrificed by their Head of Institute. "What?"

  
"How many fire messages did you ignore prior to him offering up an omega?" Catarina asked, turning to look at him with a frown. 

  
Magnus sighed and sank into a chair, taking a sip of his drink. "At least a dozen. Maybe more. I wasn't inclined to listen to them, considering who they were from." 

  
Catarina looked at Magnus and raised her eyebrows. 

  
Magnus squirmed under the look and took another slow drink. "Don't give me that." 

  
"Keep that in mind, is all I ask," she said, summoning a portal. "And try not to scare the poor thing to death tonight when you talk about kidnapping them. Who knows, they might have volunteered." 

  
Magnus scoffed and rolled his eyes, even as he watched Catarina step into a portal. His stomach twisted uncomfortably because Cat did have a point. Maybe, whoever the omega in the Institute was, had offered themselves up, guessing that he would take advantage. Magnus groaned and snapped his drink away. If that was the case...

  
It was going to be a mess. 

  
~!~

  
Alec finished signing off on the last of the reports and picked up the file with his leave request. While he didn't have to technically sign his own leave requests, he did it as a matter of course for ease of paperwork. He stared at his name, and the period of time next to it and took a deep breath, trying to remember the last time he took a day off. 

  
A knock on the door startled him from his reverie and Alec cleared his throat. "Come in," he called, signing the form in a quick flourish of the pen. 

  
Andrew stepped into the room and up to the desk. "Sir? You asked for me?" 

  
Alec picked up one of the orders that he had already signed, and then a second on the far side of his desk. "Yes. I'm placing you and Isaiah in charge of the Institute while I'm gone. Any emergencies, I am expecting you to reach out but I don't know if I will be..." he paused, his chest tightening in an uncomfortable way. _"Indisposed."_

  
The reminder of what he was about to do, where he was about to walk was suffocating, but he pressed on, because that was all he could do. "In the event that I have not contacted either of you after twenty four hours, you are to attempt to contact me twice more over the following two hours prior to taking action." 

  
Andrew cleared his throat. "I understand, sir." 

  
"Good," Alec said, handing the paperwork over to Underhill, glad his hands had stopped shaking, at least for now. "Is Isaiah with the training class?" 

  
"Yes," Andrew said with a nod. "Do you need an escort to his, ah, to where you're going?"

  
Alec offered him a wry smile. "Only an address." 

  
Andrew handed Alec a piece of paper off of his clipboard and paused. "You've, you'll be all right, sir?" 

  
Alec didn't let him see how not-all right he was and smiled. "Of course. The worst I'm expecting is a night of bad sex. He has a reputation, after all." He forced himself to say it flippantly, as though it didn't _matter,_ as though the fact didn't have his heart and stomach turning in revulsion at what he was about to do for his people. 

  
"I see." Andrew nodded again. "Then I will wish you a pleasant evening, sir." 

  
Alec watched as Underhill left his office and swallowed, forcing himself to take a deep breath. There was nothing left for him now, but to do what needed to be done. 

  
~!~

  
Before he could make his way over to Brooklyn, Alec showered, cleaning himself thoroughly, taking his time with everything he needed before dressing in a simple pair of jeans and a shirt. His scent blocker stood on the counter in the plain white bottle and he exhaled hard, turning away from it. It would take an hour or two for his natural scent to come through the residual from the scent blocker, but it would happen. Last but not least, he looked at his bow and seraph dagger before shaking his head. He was not going to bring any weapons with him since it sounded like the High Warlock was already pissed earlier, but he did pocket his stele and phone, then turned to stare in the mirror. 

  
The expression on his face was haunting, but Alec turned away, striding towards the door. He couldn't afford to be late, and it was only a matter of time before the High Warlock reached out, demanding to know where his virgin omega was. 

  
Thankfully, he was able to get out of the Institute without seeing anyone, a lifetime of sneaking out with Jace and Izzy coming in handy, and when the fresh air hit his face, Alec didn't bother to wait, or try to delay the inevitable. He swiped his stele over his speed rune and began to run. 

  
Now that he was alone with his thoughts, and on his way to Brooklyn, Alec could feel the horror curling, tight and certain in his stomach at what he was about to do. Not only was he going to have a night of meaningless sex that he didn't want, but he also had to have it with someone who had taken it as a last resort payment to save his people. Alec tightened his hands into fists and forced himself to take another breath. 

  
Magnus Bane, for all that he was proving with this, wasn't cruel, by any report he had read. Alec reminded himself of that as he headed towards the apartment address he had been given. The warlock wouldn't be cruel, and likely wouldn't hurt him, at least not in any _permanent_ sort of way. 

  
He viciously forced down the part of him that wanted to think of his True Mate, if they were even out there. In a perfect world, this should have been with _them,_ but he was not about to wait for an impossible ideal that may never happen when his people's lives were at stake. Alec paused along the Brooklyn Bridge and stared out at the water, slowing to a walk before stopping entirely. 

  
He reached out to grip the metal railing, the icy metal helping him to focus. He shuddered and let out a breath. He was going to be _fine._ It was going to be perfectly fine. Bane might not have been the kind man he had once thought, but he wasn't cruel, and well. Alec swallowed and clenched his eyes shut, a weak laugh escaping. _At least he was a man._

  
Small, horrific favors. 

  
Alec thought of the contempt that he had seen in Magnus Bane's eyes earlier and shuddered. What if he refused? Would he demand something else? The Head of the New York Institute being indebted to a High Warlock could be seen as invaluable by the downworld. 

  
Concern washed down his bond with Jace and Alec pressed his hand to the rune, breathing hard as he tried to calm himself down. He was going to be all right. He was going to be perfectly fine, and in a day, he would be able to forget that this had ever happened and move on with doing his _job._

  
Alec pulled his hands away from the railing and squared his shoulders, starting to jog toward Brooklyn again. It's no time at all before he was standing in front of a brick building and pressing a button to be let up and into the apartment. A shudder of fear worked up his spine, but he took a deep breath, reminding himself that the Institute knew where he was. If anything happened, they knew his location. 

  
It was going to be all right. 

  
Alec looked down at his hand and watched it tremble, clenching his eyes shut as he stepped into the elevator, shoving his hand into his pocket after he hit the button for the top floor. He was going to be all right. It was just _sex,_ and after everything was over and done, Bane had already promised they would never see each other again, and no one would ever need to know. 

  
No one ever _would_ know, if he had anything to say about it. 

  
The elevator dinged, and Alec looked up, stepping out of it, before turning down the hallway. He stopped in front of the broad doors and squared his shoulders again, fighting down the fear starting to choke him. Bane was not going to hurt him, he would not risk breaking the Accords. He would not, he was smarter than that. 

  
Alec ignored the voice that said he could be hurt in all kinds of other ways, ways that no one could see, and lifted a hand to knock on the door. 

  
**Two knocks.**

  
The sound of someone on the other side of the door had him tensing, and Alec quickly drew his hands behind his back, falling into parade rest when the door was opened. The kind, worried look on Bane's face was abruptly replaced by suspicion and hostility and it seemed unnecessarily harsh, considering what he was here for. What had he done already?

  
Magnus stared at the Head of the New York Institute and kept his magic carefully reigned in before he cleared his throat. "Was it necessary to escort them to me, Lightwood?" 

  
Alec blinked in surprise and frowned. "I, what are you talking about?" 

  
"Did you not trust them to follow your orders and show up to offer themselves? Of course, not that I would blame them if they did," Magnus continued, looking pointedly behind Alec's shoulders. "Might as well bring them out now." 

  
Alec tensed and didn't move. Who else had Bane been expecting? He gave himself a small shake. "There's no one else," he answered, meeting the High Warlocks' eyes easily. "I came alone, as I said I would." 

  
Magnus blinked, processing that for several seconds in stunned silence. _"You're_ the omega?" 

  
Alec lifted his chin a fraction and forced himself to raise an eyebrow, even though his hands were shaking behind his back. **"Yes."**

  
Magnus frowned, tugging the door open, gesturing him in. 

  
Alec took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. Once he was inside and the door was closed behind him, he bent down to untie the laces of his boots, removing them to put them by the doorframe, out of the way. He removed his socks as well (it would make it easier to strip later, since he didn't know how long it would be before they got to the... _proceedings),_ and straightened, falling into the same stance, facing Bane, the alpha who was every inch an alpha. 

  
Magnus stared at Alec, at the resolute way his shoulders were straightened and he was looking forward unflinchingly. Every inch the precious Clave soldier. "You didn't offer one of your people up?" 

  
Alec scowled and glared at High Warlock Bane, bristling under the incredulous question. "Of _course_ not. I would never do that to any of them." He lifted his chin. “Nor would I allow a single one of them to die if it was in my power to save them.” 

  
Magnus scoffed, rolling his eyes before he crossed his arms over his chest. “So you thought that offering yourself up was a good idea instead?” He scowled at the omega in front of him. “How did you phrase it? It was so eloquent. A night with a quote, _‘unclaimed, virgin, omega’.”_

  
Carefully, Alec uncrossed his arms and took a deep breath to try to relax his shoulders. He couldn’t afford to make the alpha angry. Not now. Not like this. Not when they were about to do… all sorts of things where he’d be vulnerable. “It was the price you accepted for your services,” he said, keeping his voice as free of tone as he could manage. 

  
“And what does it say about your opinion of me,” Magnus asked, his voice just as cool, just as scathing. “That you thought I would accept?” He snorted. “You probably had a field day telling everyone of your  _ noble sacrifice.” _

  
Alec bit down the urge to be furious, to shout at Bane that his pride and his pride alone had nearly cost the lives of children. “No one else knows I am here, or the nature of our... _ agreement, _ besides my Second, and my Head of Security. They run the Institute in my absence.” 

  
Magnus narrowed his eyes. “Are they the ones who will be coming to arrest me when I return their precious omega leader bruised, beaten, and broken tomorrow?” he asked, raising a mocking eyebrow. 

  
Alec let out a slow breath. “I know those rumors are horseshit,” he said, watching Bane’s eyes widen in surprise. “I know the Downworld doesn’t treat omegas like second class citizens, unlike the Clave. I know the Downworld omegas don’t have to hide their scent like the Clave requires  _ me  _ to.” His voice lowered, going flat again. “I also know that the Downworld doesn’t give a damn about gender, and sexuality.  _ Unlike  _ the Clave.” 

  
Magnus shook his head. “What the hell did you think you were doing?” 

  
“Saving my people’s lives. If a night with an omega was the only currency you’d accept, of course I’d pay it,” Alec said, keeping his voice matter of fact. He reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and off, folding the fabric slowly, carefully, before placing it on top of his boots. He willed his hands not to shake as he undid the thigh holster he was wearing and laid it by his boots. 

  
Alec focused on unbuckling his belt next, ignoring the small noise that escaped the alpha across the room. “I made an educated guess. I didn’t think you’d be cruel. At worst, I figured it would be an evening of bad sex-“ he took a moment to steady his hands that had started to shake before he removed his belt. “-but you do have a certain reputation, so I wasn’t worried. Whatever you want tonight, I guarantee I’ve survived much worse.” 

  
Magnus’ mouth went dry in horror as the Nephilim omega methodically stripped in front of him, piece by piece, describing his rationale. The mention of a night of bad sex had Lightwood’s hands shaking, and abruptly, the reminder of, _'virgin, unclaimed omega'_ made his skin crawl. “Wait, Lightwood-"

  
Last but not least, Alec undid the zipper on his jeans and pulled them off, folding them quickly before placing them on top of his boots with the rest of his things. He stood upright again and met Bane’s, the alpha’s eyes, forcing his hands to still. 

  
“I will personally ensure you face no repercussions for whatever transpires in the next day. If you have a pen and paper, I can give you an Exclusionary Note with my signature. It will protect you, in any Clave court and trial, should I be unavailable,” Alec continued. 

  
Magnus stared at the omega in parade rest, standing in his living room in nothing more than his boxers, his body rigid and resigned, his hands clasped together to likely prevent their shaking. Bile rose in his throat and he turned away. “I can’t do this.” 

  
Alec tensed, watching Bane stride across the room towards a drink cart, pouring himself something before swallowing it immediately, then pouring a second. “I will _not…”_ he swallowed and forced his tone to gentle. “I will not have myself and my Institute beholden to another, High Warlock Bane. You accepted my terms, and you have provided the service. The payment is yours to take.” 

  
Magnus clenched his eyes shut, willing himself not to be sick, for his stomach to settle. “You can’t consent to this,” he breathed.  _ “You can’t.” _

  
“I already have. I offered this as payment if you will remember,” Alec pointed out. “And you _accepted,_ High Warlock Bane.” 

  
“Yes!” Magnus shouted, spinning back around to face him. “Because I thought-“ he snapped his mouth shut and glared at the Nephilim, downing his drink, his hand tight around the glass. 

  
“Because you thought I had ordered one of my people to provide this  _ service  _ to you?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow at the alpha. “Now you know differently. So we can... _ proceed  _ at your leisure, High Warlock Bane.” 

  
“Fuck,” Magnus swore, breathing out slowly. “This isn’t right, this isn’t-"

  
“Fair?” Alec provided. “I have not been on his earth as long as you, High Warlock Bane, but I can assure you I have had ample time to discover just how unfair the world can be.” He lifted his chin again, staring down the alpha warlock as he took a step closer, then another. 


	3. Chapter 3

Magnus watched the omega walk closer, step by step, arrested by the sight. He was _beautiful._ He was so beautiful. In another world, another time, another universe, he would have pursued this omega with everything in him. Would have fought to win his heart long before winning his body. 

  
“It’s all right,” Alec soothed, able to smell the growing distress around the alpha, something in him twisting, dark and deep, wanting to make the warlock feel better. He quirked his lips in a smile. “I’m sturdier than I look. You’re hardly going to break me.” 

  
Magnus had barely a moment to register the ridiculousness of the omega in front of him reassuring him. He pressed his fingertips to his lips and turned away from Alec and struggled to take a breath, the reality of what Alec, what the Head of the Institute was prepared to do for his people...

  
"Listen," Alec said, taking a step closer, nearly choking on the horror that was bleeding out of the alpha in waves. "High Warlock Bane-"

  
Magnus covered his face with his hands. "For fuck's sake, call me Magnus. I'm not going to have you calling me by my fucking _title_ while we're..." he cut himself off and shook his head. 

  
"Magnus," Alec repeated dutifully, focusing on getting closer to the alpha. "I came here with a full understanding of what tonight and the rest of the day was going to be. I knew you weren't cruel. I, took care of, ah. Getting ready, so you could-" 

  
Magnus spun around to glare at the omega, fury tightening around his throat enough to choke him. "So if I didn't take the time to prep you, I could simply bend you over the couch if I wished?" he snarled. "So I could-" 

  
"So," Alec interrupted, keeping his voice firm. "You didn't feel _obligated,"_ he corrected. 

  
_"Fuck,"_ Magnus breathed out, his shoulders heaving as he turned away again, putting down the glass that he had been holding, struggling to breathe. Catarina had been right, this had been a mess of his own making and now he was reaping the fallout of it. He shook his head and tried to breathe again. 

  
Alec swallowed and reached out to touch the alpha gently on the shoulder, giving him a small squeeze. The horrified scent was still heavy in the room. "I _know,"_ he steeled himself and forced the words out. "I know that you and your people have suffered under the shadowhunters. I didn't know what to expect tonight, but I knew you wouldn't... wouldn't damage me beyond repair."

  
"Implying that I might damage you enough that, what? You could heal with an iratze?" Magnus snapped, keeping his eyes on the wall. 

  
"Something like that," Alec agreed. "I might not be experienced, but, ah. I do know that there is likely some soreness involved since I haven't done this before." 

  
He could barely smell the omega behind him, but his voice sounded calm and collected, the exact opposite of what Magnus was feeling himself. How was he supposed to do this? Take this payment that had been offered for his services, and that of his people? 

  
"Sit on the couch," Magnus ordered, breathing out slowly. _"Please,"_ he added, as an afterthought. He felt the other man step away and head towards the couch, sitting down at the end of it, before he turned back around, staring at the omega. Shirtless, legs that went on for miles, and dark runes that he wanted to chase with his teeth. The omega was so beautiful it made his heart ache and he barely managed to yank his eyes away again.  


  
"Of course," Alec agreed, breathing out slowly. "Whatever you would like, Magnus." 

  
What he would have liked is for the shadowhunters not to have concocted a massive case of Demonic Coxillia. Then he would have gone on blissfully unaware that the Head of the New York Institute was an omega, and a virgin one at that. They could continue ignoring each other, they could-

  
"May I ask one thing?" Alec ventured when the warlock didn't say anything else. He tightened his hands in his lap and waited for the nod of agreement from Magnus before he forged on. "Will the others demand a night as well?" 

  
Magnus felt his mind go blank. 

  
He blinked. 

  
Stared at the wall. 

  
He turned, slowly, to face Alec Lightwood, sitting on the couch, like that question hadn't rocked him to his very core. Magnus was very, very careful with his next question. _**"Others?"**_

  
"The other warlocks," Alec explained. "Since it required more than just you to do the healing."

  
Magnus closed his eyes and felt his magic pushing at the edges of his control, eager to spin out and express the riot of emotion inside him. "And if I said they would?" 

  
Alec swallowed and looked down at the floor. "I would ask if you are open to discussion for other methods of payment. Especially for the women. I'm not... that wouldn't be possible for me."

  
All the lightbulbs in the loft exploded. 

  
Magnus felt, rather than heard, the shadowhunter jump. He reformed them with a wave of his fingers and sighed, sinking into a chair, feeling every single one of his almost five centuries. "There is no payment required for them. I'll handle it," he said, his voice flat. He lifted his eyes to meet Alec's and then dropped them to the floor again. "You have my word as High Warlock."

  
Alec let his shoulders relax a fraction and nodded. "Thank you, Magnus," he managed. At least that was one less thing for him to worry about for the time being. Now, all he had to do was survive what was in front of him. And whatever it was that he would want to do. 

  
For the first time in over a century, Magnus found himself entirely at a loss of how to handle a situation in front of him. He shook his head and stared at the floor. How he had pictured this going - convincing the Nephilim that what their Head was asking was untenable, promising to spirit them away, keep them safe, protected... _Now?_ He had no idea what to do. "This was not how I pictured this evening." 

  
Alec cleared his throat, fighting the urge to let his hands tremble again. "Is there something that I can do to help with that? I'm sure there are a great many things that we can get up to, right?" 

  
The forced cheer was worse than the resignation and Magnus had to give himself a few moments, or he was going to be sick. How was he supposed to deal with any of this? Any of it at all? "I'm _not_ going to have sex with you. You're going to walk out of here exactly as you walked in," he said, hanging his head. 

  
Alec stiffened. "That wasn't our deal."

  
Magnus wanted to laugh, but the situation, the tension that was now growing in the room, none of it was funny. None of it was even the beginning of funny. What the hell was he supposed to do? "Consider your side fulfilled, Alec. Go home, go back to your people." 

  
Alec tightened his hands into fists. "I'm not going to have the Institute be simply in your debt for the foreseeable future, to be leveraged when you need it most. You agreed to this method of payment-" 

  
_**"Because,"**_ Magnus snarled, his eyes gold as he spun to look at the omega again. "I had planned to take the omega you had brainwashed into coming here tonight. Bring them somewhere safe. Somewhere they could hide. Somewhere, with someone who wouldn't ask them to give up what they were!"

  
Alec stared at Magnus for a long, long moment, taking a deep breath to try to channel the fury washing over him. “You would have kidnapped one of my people?” he asked, his voice dangerous and quiet. 

  
“I would have _saved_ one of your people,” Magnus corrected. “If you’d ordered them to-” 

  
“And what, _pray tell,”_ Alec continued, his voice eerily calm. “Made you think that I am the type of leader who would have done such a thing?” 

  
Magnus narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together. 

  
“Because I’m a _shadowhunter,”_ Alec gave a nod of confirmation. “Because I’m a legal member of the Clave, and a Head of Institute, right? So I must be the type to abuse my authority?” 

  
Magnus didn’t bother nodding. 

  
“Because,  _ High Warlock Bane,” _ Alec continued, his voice shifting to the barest of growls. “You couldn’t be _**bothered** _to read any of the thirteen total fire messages that my second, and then I sent to you.” 

_  
Fuck. _ There was nothing he could say, no defense that he could offer, and he was well aware of it. Everything Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute was saying was entirely the truth. 

  
Alec let out a dark laugh. “Do you know what I offered you? Do you have any idea the lengths I went to in an attempt to get you to agree to save the lives of my people?” He met Magnus’ eyes when they snapped to his again. “I know all about your shadowhunter moratorium, High Warlock Bane. Your refusal to never work with the Clave again.” 

  
“This wasn’t-” 

  
_“Don’t. **Lie,”**_ Alec snarled. “Don’t lie and tell me it was about anything other than making us suffer for what we did to your people during both the First and Second Uprisings. I know my history, better than you might think.” 

  
Magnus snapped his mouth shut and glared at the omega. “And what _high price_ did you offer?” he asked, his voice dripping with mockery. 

  
“Standard fee, double fee, triple fee, then name your price,” Alec said, raising an eyebrow. “Not that it matters to you, but I would have had to pay those prices myself - the Clave never would have approved them, would have rather let my people die than work with a warlock to save them.” 

  
Magnus’ eyes widened. 

  
“I would have drained the entire Lightwood family holdings if it meant keeping my people alive,” Alec said, continuing to stare down Magnus. “But when that clearly wasn’t an incentive to even get a return fire message, I looked at other options.” 

  
“What other options?” Magnus asked, unable to look away from the clearly furious omega. 

  
“I offered to erase crimes for your people. Especially ones I knew had been wrongfully accused. Wipe the slate clean. I offered to grant amnesty to at least three I know are banned from New York. I offered to re-open cases that you recommended I look into in an attempt to overturn sentences,” Alec listed off. “Before my second to last offer of anything you asked for, I’d also offered you an Exclusionary Note. _Blank._ To be given to a person of your choosing.” 

  
Magnus stared in horror at Alec Lightwood. “They would have de-runed you.” 

  
Alec’s lips twisted grimly. “I was willing to take the chance to plead my case before the Inquisitor. That was when we passed seventy-five people sick.” He raised a single, damning eyebrow. “But none of those, not a _single_ one, merited a response from the High Warlock of the Downworld. Instead, his response came when I offered him anything.  _ Anything.” _

  
“Fuck,” Magnus breathed, remembering the quick response he’d penned and sent off without a second thought, dismissing the request. 

  
“So,” Alec continued. “With the certain death of my people on the line without intervention from a warlock - I offered the last thing I had. Something I knew the downworld, that I knew a  _ warlock _ would perhaps consider precious beyond all things.” 

  
When Magnus said nothing, despite Alec letting the silence stretch between the both of them, he sighed and slumped. “And you _accepted._ Whatever your intentions were aside - you _accepted_ that price.”

  
Magnus was going to be sick. He pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to breathe as the realization of what had happened, what had truly happened, came to light. 

  
Alec sighed. “And the thing is? It’s  _ still  _ worth it.” He met Magnus’ eyes when they rose to his again. “Even if you’d told me I had to spend a night with every warlock you brought in.” 

  
Magnus spun away from Alec and stomped across the loft, blowing open the balcony doors with his magic, stepping up against the railing, pressing his hands against the rough stone. He clenched his eyes shut, reaching out with his magic to touch all of Brooklyn that he could reach, reacquainting himself with her people and the deeper epicenter that was the city, running and pushing his magic as far away from the omega standing behind him as he could.   


  
He took in a deep breath. Then another, willing, _ordering,_ his magic to calm. He couldn’t keep going like this. He couldn’t. He couldn’t force Alec to do anything, not just because he was an omega, and he should be treated preciously, but because he was a leader, trying to protect his people. And if there was one thing Magnus unquestionably understood - it was sacrificing to protect his people. 

  
He didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind him, nor did he hear the sound of the door to the patio opening. Magnus didn’t realize the shadowhunter had joined him in the chilly air until they were standing side-by-side, looking out at Brooklyn. “I can’t do it. You can’t consent.” 

  
Alec sighed. “Even if I am here, standing next to you, with my people healed, and safe, telling you that I do?” 

  
Magnus let out a sad laugh. “From someone with far too much experience under his belt, trust me when I say that your first time should be with someone you care about. Your True Mate, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Not like this.” 

  
Alec tilted his head back, looking up at the few stars that he could see in the sky. His Heating rune was keeping him from feeling the bite of the cold, but the longer he stood out here, the quicker it was going to stop working. 

  
“I do,” he confirmed, his voice soft. “Have a True Mate, that is.” Alec closed his eyes and thought of the glamoured mark over his heart. “Pretty sure I’m never going to find them, though. I wear dampners every day. Even if they happen to scent me, I wouldn’t even know what to begin to look for in the scent of mine.” 

  
_“Home,”_ Magnus breathed, his voice soft. His magic was quiet now, curling around him in slow, steady circles. “I’ve always been told that your True Mate smells like _home.”_ He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. “Go home, shadowhunter. Go back to your people. You have no debt with me. Imagining what I could put you through is punishment enough.” 

  
Alec thought about it, considered the offer for a long moment. Isaiah and Andrew would have both told him to take the out, to leave, and not look back. But the sight of Magnus’ magic, curling around him in slow, undulating waves, his shoulders still tense, and his back stiff… It wasn’t a sight he wanted to look away from yet. Something was keeping him here, telling him that it wasn’t time to leave yet. 

  
Magnus waited. Waited for the shadowhunter to leave, to do something, _anything_ else. But no. He continued to stand there, as though he could do it for hours on end. “Why are you still here?” 

  
Alec shrugged. “I’m not sure.” 

  
A sigh left him. “Get dressed. I’ll portal you to the front of the Institute.” 

  
Alec shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.” He paused for a brief moment. “Because I’m not leaving yet,” he added. 

  
Magnus frowned and turned to look at the omega. “What do you mean you’re not leaving yet?” 

  
“You heard me,” Alec said. “I’m not leaving yet.” A small shiver ran up his spine. “But I am going to go back inside.” For some reason, now that he had made the decision, the fear and anxiety from earlier were gone. He felt  _ settled. _

  
Magnus watched the omega walk back into his loft, pull on his jeans and shirt in quick, efficient movements. But instead of finishing getting dressed, the omega sat down on the couch again with his phone. With another frustrated breath in the cold air, he turned to head back inside. “What are you doing?” 

  
Alec hummed and flipped through a page on his phone. “Skimming through your Clave file. It’s missing quite a lot.” 

  
Magnus frowned and sat down on the other side of the couch, staring at the omega. “What do you mean it’s missing a lot?” 

  
“Well, for one, you don’t keep a harem. I’d have noticed by now,” Alec said. “Second, they got your warlock mark wrong. Cat's eye, not snake's eye, who wrote this drivel?” 

  
Magnus stared at Alec Lightwood, still feeling uncomfortably off-kilter. “Why are you reading my file, Lightwood?” 

  
Alec shrugged. “I’m curious to see how much they got wrong.” He glanced up at the warlock. “And because my instincts are telling me not to leave yet. I’ve learned to trust those, over the years.” 

  
Magnus scowled. “Your instincts are telling you you’re safe in the lair of a warlock?” 

  
“You haven't done anything to make me think otherwise. In fact, you’ve prioritized my safety and consent,” Alec pointed out. “Since you’ve done nothing but that since I arrived, yes. I believe I am safe here.” 

  
Dropping his face into his hands, Magnus breathed out, slow and steady. “Omegas are so precious,” he whispered. “They’re _cherished._ They’re leaders of our people. To be chosen by an omega…” he trailed off. “I don’t know if I can describe the honor.”

  
A quiet hum left Alec. “You must hate me for offering up what I did, then. Cheapening what you cherish so much.” 

  
“I hate myself for pushing you into making that offer,” Magnus corrected. “I admire you for the lengths you were willing to go to to protect and save your people, Alec.” 

  
Alec looked over at Magnus and studied his profile, taking a slow inhale, the scent of the space, and sorrow coming from the alpha making him frown. “I like the smell of this place,” he offered up. It relaxed him, how calming the space was, even with the alpha sitting so close. 

  
Magnus swallowed. “You should go now, Alec. You cannot stay here.” 

  
“Why not?” Alec pressed, frowning. “I didn’t-“ 

  
“Because I _like_ the smell of you here,” Magnus interrupted. “And I know you’re coming off of blockers. I don’t want to-“ 

  
“What?” Alec challenged. _“Sniff me?”_

  
Magnus scowled. 

  
Alec burst into laughter. The combination of everything, the tension of what had been awaiting him, the arguing with Magnus, and the fear that had slowly given way to relaxation made for a truly amusing scenario when he looked at it. 

  
“What are you laughing at?” 

  
**“Everything!”** Alec said, waving his hand. “All of it. I come here expecting, I don’t even know, and then you’re sitting here, and you’re worried about _sniffing_ me!” 

  
"I'm worried about-" Magnus snapped his mouth shut and breathed out, long and slow. It didn't matter. It absolutely did not matter. It didn't matter that he was starting to be able to smell Alec, and his scent was more tantalizing than he ever would have expected. And if this is what he smelled like just as his scent was emerging? He needed to be far, far away from Magnus when the rest of his blockers wore off. 

  
Alec turned his phone off and turned to look at the alpha beside him, still smiling after he had dissolved into laughter. "Listen. Magnus. Whatever you're worried about, stop. Unless you truly mean it and you want me to go..." 

  
Magnus opened his mouth to snap that yes, yes he wanted the omega to leave, leave before he did something fucking stupid like beg the omega to stay. He took a deep, shuddery breath, the tantalizing scent of the omega was growing in the room. "I just told you how precious omegas are to our people, Alec. To have you sitting here, it isn't... isn't right." 

  
Alec blew out a hard breath and stared at the wall across from him, taking in the pictures and shelves of books. "What about it isn't right? Other than the fact that I'm a shadowhunter and Head of the Institute. We've covered those pieces already, I think." 

  
A growl left his throat before he could stop it and Magnus turned to the infuriating omega who sounded so calm and so relaxed. The omega was going to ruin him, and Magnus was already going to be thinking of him and his scent for months, or longer. Nevermind that he wanted to bury his face in Alec's neck and sink his teeth in, make sure that no one else could lay claim to the omega. 

  
When Magnus didn't answer, only growled at him, Alec rubbed the side of his neck and turned to face the alpha properly. "Do you really want me to leave?" 

  
_"No,"_ Magnus managed to grit out, despite his best efforts. The last thing that he wanted was for the omega to leave. In fact, he wanted to demand he stay, to never go back to the Institute. 

  
Alec relaxed, his shoulders losing the last of their tension and he offered the alpha a quick smile. "That settles it then." 

  
Magnus stood up with another snarl, pacing away from the couch, and across the living room, breathing hard. He felt caged in, the omega's scent following him everywhere he went, calling to him, beckoning him closer. "Do you have your blockers on you?" he managed, his voice hoarse. "Your scent is... is..." he swallowed, breathing in deeply again. 

  
Alec's nose wrinkled and he frowned at Magnus. "Is something wrong with my scent? I apologize if I can't tell, I don't have the best sense of smell. Too many broken noses as a kid." 

  
"Not, _wrong,"_ Magnus managed, his magic snapping around his fingers, all of it reaching out for the omega behind him. It wanted to be closer, to have the omega pressed up against him, breathing in lungfuls of that intoxicating scent that was only getting stronger with every minute that went by. He wanted to bury himself in that scent and never leave it again. "Just, just _strong."_

  
"Strong?" Alec asked, frowning down at his skin. "That's strange. I thought most scents were always subtle unless there were active emotions?" He sniffed the air pointedly. "I can scent yours right now, for example, but it's normally not something everyone can do." 

  
Magnus took a breath through his mouth, but that didn't help, all it did was make his mouth water with the desire to taste Alec's skin. "It's partially because you're an omega and I'm a, ah, compatible alpha." 

  
Alec hummed, nodding. "I suppose that makes sense. I know there aren't many of us born every generation." He pressed his fingertips to his heart, where the Mark was. "Even less that have True Mates." 

  
The reminder that Alec had a True Mate should have been a bucket of ice water on his growing obsession with Alec's scent, but all it did was make him want to wrap the omega up in his arms and scent him until Alec smelled like him and _only_ him. Magnus swallowed hard. "There's usually a dozen every ten years or so. Sometimes less, sometimes more." 

  
"It's been a very long time since there was a shadowhunter omega," Alec agreed. "Some of the laws regarding omega expectations and behavior are archaic. I've fought to get a lot of them changed, but there are some - like the scent blockers, that I haven't been able to get overturned yet." 

  
Once again, Magnus was reminded that Alec Lightwood was not the usual shadowhunter. That statement said everything that he would have ever needed to know about the man, and the measure of who he was. "Good that you are helping to bring the Clave into the current century." 

  
"Well," Alec said, his lips quirking. "It's a work in progress. It'd help if I could learn to build a relationship with the local downworld." 

  
Magnus heard the hint in those words, the tentative olive branch that Alec was extending to him, and he turned back around to look at the omega. That was a mistake. The full force of Alec's scent hit him and Magnus bit down a groan, his eyes zeroing in on Alec's neck, and the deflect rune that curved along his jaw and the muscles there. "I..." his mouth was dry and all Magnus could do was stare, taking a step closer to the omega. 

  
Alec tried not to shiver when the alpha's eyes flipped to gold slits in the space of a second. The heat in them, the way that his scent was going hot and possessive had him wanting to curl into the alpha's arms and never move. _"Magnus?"_ he managed, his voice hoarse as he stood up, moving closer to him. "Are you all right?" 

  
Every step the omega took closer was a nail in the coffin that Magnus had built for himself by allowing the omega to stay for as long as he had. Once Alec was in front of him, his eyes concerned and shifting from hazel into the bright blue that signified an omega, he couldn't hold back the possessive growl that escaped. _His omega.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Every step the omega took closer was a nail in the coffin that Magnus had built for himself by allowing the omega to stay for as long as he had."
> 
> I had some truly amazing lines in this fic that I am very, very proud of. (Alec's speech and statement about fairness at the end of chapter 2 being another example.) But this line? This is still my favorite line of the entire fic. And I just needed to share that, because I am SO proud of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to all of the absolutely INCREDIBLE comments (and commenters) that I have received in the past few days. You are all amazing beyond words and I love each and every single one of you. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this story, and to respond in such an amazing way. I love you all so much. <3

Alec's breath caught, his eyes widening as Magnus growled again, but it was a growl that had  _ entirely  _ inappropriate shivers running down his spine. He wasn't afraid of the alpha, if anything, he wanted to hear that growl against his skin. His mouth went dry and he reached out, even as Magnus wrenched himself back. 

  
_"Fuck,"_ Magnus swore, his eyes widening as he stared at Alec in the middle of the room, his eyes shining blue, his posture confused. Even now, he could feel the pounding demand that he act, that he drag the omega into his arms and never let him leave again. "Alec, Alec you have to, have to..." Magnus swallowed, trying to get the words out. "I can't, fuck, you're too, too good." 

  
Alec blinked and stared at Magnus, at the way the alpha had pressed himself back against one of the brick pillars in the middle of the loft. Despite the heavy scents they were both clearly bleeding off, he knew there was nothing to be afraid of. He _knew_ that, just like he  _ knew  _ that Magnus would never hurt him. Just like he  _ knew  _ he would always be safe here, like it was a second...

  
"Alec!" Magnus snapped. "Get-"

  
_"Home,"_ Alec breathed, finishing the thought, meeting Magnus' eyes again, watching his pupils dilate. "That's why I feel so safe here," he added, taking another step towards the alpha. 

  
Magnus swallowed, his mouth dry as he watched the omega approach, his entire body tense and pressed back against the pillar. "What, what are you doing?" 

  
Alec stopped in front of Magnus and stared at him. "Forgive me if I do this wrong," he breathed. "I don't know the warlock customs. But..." He could feel the rightness of what he was about to do in his bones and leaned in, pressing his nose to the scent glands in Magnus' neck, inhaling the rich woodsy scent of the alpha in its full glory. Alec groaned and pressed in closer until he was up against all of Magnus, pinning him back to the wall. _"Alpha,"_ he breathed. **"My** alpha." 

  
Magnus lifted his hands to Alec's hips and squeezed them gently, carefully, trying to hold his breath as Alec moved in closer to him until their entire bodies were pressed together. _"Alec..."_ he whispered, closing his eyes and whining as the omega's teeth scraped over his neck, making him shudder. 

  
"Smell so good alpha," Alec whispered. "Didn't know it was possible for someone to smell this good, this  _ safe.”  _

  
Magnus whined and yanked Alec in and somehow more against him, inhaling a deep breath of pleased, happy omega, shifting just enough so he could return the motion, his lips against Alec's scent glands. "So good," he breathed, letting himself sag into the cage of Alec's arms. "So good, _omega,_ smell incredible, like  _ mine.”  _

  
Alec let out a low chuckle and kept Magnus pressed up against the stone pillar, scraping his teeth over the tendon in Magnus' neck, even as he shuddered. _"Mine,"_ he echoed, his head swimming with Magnus' scent and the sense of rightness that he could feel. 

  
A pleased growl left him a moment later, but Magnus knew that he had to be the one to think rationally between the both of them for at least a few seconds. Whining, he pulled his face back from Alec's neck and shifted his hands up to the omega's shoulders, putting a few inches of space between them with effort. The whine from Alec was almost enough to have him release the hold, but he tightened his hands. "Alec," he rasped. "Look at me." 

  
Pupil-blown bright blue eyes met his and Magnus managed the force of will to hold himself back from kissing those tempting lips that were hovering in front of him. "Alec, you aren't-"

  
"I swear to the angel," Alec breathed, pressing against Magnus' hands with a faint growl. "If you tell me what I am or am not feeling, I'll knock you out, and I have things I would much rather spend my time doing with you." 

  
Magnus laughed, unable to keep it in as he stared at the omega in front of him, the omega that every instinct he had was screaming was  _ his. _ "If we take it any further than what we're doing right now, we're both going to get carried away." 

  
Alec groaned and bit down on his lower lip, trying not to pant. "Virgin, unclaimed omega, remember? You think I'm really going to complain about that?" 

  
"I would prefer," Magnus grit out, trying not to grind his teeth together. "You able to _consent_ to what is about to happen, not the both of us getting carried away." 

  
Alec growled, low in his throat. "You think I'm not in full control of myself right now?" 

  
"I _think,"_ Magnus said. "If you're even half as scent-drunk as I am, you can't make a safe judgment call." He whined and closed his eyes, tightening his hands on Alec's shoulders. "I don't, I want you to want this." He didn't add the unsaid word. That he wanted Alec to be sure, to be sure of _him_ just as much.  


  
Alec softened and reached out to cup the alpha's chin in his hand, searching his eyes for a long moment. "I have a way for you to trust me. Trust that I want this. Want you, alpha." He took a shaky breath. "What's your favorite coffee order from the shop on the corner?" 

  
Magnus blinked at the non-sequitur. "What?" 

  
Alec pulled back from the alpha with another small whine and stalked to the door, shoving his feet into his boots, not bothering with his socks. "Coffee. What do you normally get?"

  
"A Venti Americano," Magnus said, still blinking. _"Why?"_

  
"I'll be back in ten minutes," Alec said, taking one more brief inhale, stopping at the door to turn to look at Magnus. "Let me back in, all right?" 

  
Magnus stared in shock as, without another word, Alec Lightwood left the loft, shutting the door carefully behind him. He moved over to one of his chairs and sank down into it, dropping his face into his hands. Had he really just... _given up his chance?_ If, If Alec was his... He pressed a hand to his heart, over his Mark that he hadn't purposefully thought about in decades.  


  
He fought down the urge to chase after the omega, to claim him so that anyone who scented him would know who he belonged to, who his alpha was, and that Magnus himself had been claimed, had been  _ chosen  _ by an omega... That was irrational. He knew that. He did. Mostly. Alec had said that he would be back, he was going to be back. He would be. 

  
Magnus didn't know how much time passed if it was the promised ten minutes or longer. It felt like an eternity, the silence of the loft slowly pressing in on him until he felt suffocated by it. The sound of hurried footsteps outside the door had his head snapping up, and then there were two firm knocks. His heart leapt. He knew those knocks. He waved his hand to open the door with his magic and stared in shock as Alec Lightwood walked back in, carrying two coffees, one in each hand. 

  
_"There,"_ Alec said, kicking off his boots. He moved into the kitchen area and put both the coffees down on the counter (for later) before he went back into the main living area to stand in front of the alpha who was still gaping at him in shock. "I left the building, got away from your scent, went into a scent-neutral area, didn't take my chance to run, and have returned here, as promised." 

  
Magnus stood up, his eyes widening as he watched his omega start to smirk at him, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes bright and chin tilted up, proud of what he had done. "You have," he agreed, swallowing hard. "You have done all that, Alexander." 

  
Alec shivered and let out a small whine, stepping closer to the alpha. "So does that mean..." he hesitated a few steps away. "Do you believe me when I say that I'm not overwhelmed and I'm here because I want to be?" 

  
"Why did you come back?" Magnus asked, unable to look away from the omega standing in front of him, his heart pounding wildly. "You, why did you come back?" 

  
Alec blinked and tilted his head, staring at Magnus. "I told you already. You, and your loft? Smell like _home._ You said that's what it's supposed to smell like."  


  
Magnus' eyes widened and he hissed with pain, pressing his palm to the Mark on his heart again. The Mark that would burn when he found his True Mate and was found in return. He stared at the omega in front of him, his breath catching. "You, we do?" 

  
_"Yeah,"_ Alec said, taking a slow inhale. "Now with a hint of rather delicious coffee." 

  
Magnus blinked at the omega in front of him and growled possessively. He took the last two strides forward, wrapping both of his arms around his omega, pulling him in close, nuzzling into his neck with a growl. "Mine, _mine, **mine,"**_ he breathed, scraping his teeth along the deflect rune burned into pale skin. 

  
_"Fuck,"_ Alec groaned, tilting his head, exposing more of his neck so Magnus could keep running his teeth over his skin. He shuddered and reached out to pull the alpha in tighter until they were pressed together again. His Mark was burning the same way a rune did, telling him that Magnus was _his_ alpha, was his True Mate, exactly who he had been waiting for. 

  
"Perfect omega," Magnus breathed, kissing Alec's neck right at the scent glands, groaning against his skin. "Feel so good, smell so _perfect,_ want to keep you right here for hours." He shifted them and spun, pressing his omega back up against the brick column. "Make you smell like mine," he promised. 

  
Alec bit down a whine, impatiently tugging the alpha in closer. "We're going to have to discuss the few logistical concerns, after," he managed, gasping as the alpha rolled his hips, pressing them together in a delicious way that had a shiver running up his whole body. "Alpha, please..." 

  
Magnus groaned against Alec's skin, sucking a mark against the deflect rune. He wouldn't claim the omega, not yet (because they truly did have things to speak about), but this would be enough for now. He would make sure that the omega smelled of him, and that his magic was in the shadowhunter, marking him for all that cared to see. "Logistical concerns can wait." 

  
Alec wanted to laugh, he did, but then Magnus was rolling his hips again and scraping his teeth over his neck and all Alec could do was moan and try not to beg for more or fall apart right then and there. "Alpha, Magnus, fuck, _please..."_

  
Magnus hummed in pleasure. "So beautiful," he breathed. "Wanted you the second I saw you. So angry, beautiful. So proud, and so  _ good.” _

  
Alec gasped, sliding his fingers up and under the silky shirt that Magnus was wearing, the heat of bare skin enough to have him lost, swimming in their combined scents. "You're the good one," he gasped. "Made sure I was safe. Wanted to _protect."_

  
Magnus chuckled against Alec's skin, licking up the bead of sweat that was already running down. "Think we have more in common than we want to admit, sweetheart. But we can file that under your logistical concerns. For right now, I have something I need." 

  
Alec wasn't proud of the whine that escaped him when Magnus called him sweetheart, but damn if he wasn't going to own up to it. "What's that?" he whispered, meeting the alpha's golden eyes when Magnus pulled back enough so they could look at each other. 

  
_"This,"_ Magnus whispered, tugging the omega down the inch required for their lips to meet. All at once, the bond snapped fully into place, and Magnus was overwhelmed by the flare of magic between them, gasping and whining into the kiss until the magic started to fade, the open bond between them singing loudly and wildly. Like this, he could feel Alec's desire, his happiness, and how much he wanted. He could feel how strong their bond was, and how suited they truly were for each other.   


  
_"Mine,"_ Alec breathed against Magnus' lips when they parted, only for an instant. When golden eyes snapped back to his, at full attention, he licked his lips and leaned in for a soft kiss, simply pressing their lips together. _"My alpha,"_ he repeated, smiling. "Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld." Alec grinned and tightened his arms around the alpha. 

  
Magnus chuckled and kissed Alec again, the bond thrumming with satisfaction as he leaned into kissing his shadowhunter. _"My omega,"_ he whispered when they had to break apart for air. "Alexander Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute." The bond flared again, responding to the promise and acceptance of their names and Magnus followed the pull into Alec's arms all over again. 

  
Alec had always imagined what kissing someone you were meant to be with would feel like. It was nothing compared to this - slow, slick swipes of lips and tongues until all he could smell was the two of them, and all he wanted was to be pressed even closer together. But he wanted more, and more than that, he wanted to not be pressed up against brick. "Bed, Magnus?" 

  
Magnus pulled back from Alec's neck, growling happily at the sight of several marks littering the deflect rune and smirked, before the mention of a bed had his attention snapping back to his omega. _"Bed?"_

  
"Yeah," Alec panted. "Bed? Less clothing?" 

  
Another growl escaped Magnus and he swung them around, maneuvering them quickly towards his bedroom doors, kicking off his shoes, snapping away his socks, and unbuttoning his jacket, all at once. Anything and everything his omega wanted. All of it. 

  
Alec pulled back and watched as Magnus snapped away the rest of his clothing, except for the black briefs he had been wearing under his slacks. He licked his lips and shivered, the urge to drop to his knees and  _ taste  _ almost overwhelming. He reached down and took his shirt off, starting to fold it, before it was unceremoniously ripped away from him and dropped on the floor. 

  
Magnus' grin was wolfish. "I doubt you need to worry about wrinkles, Alexander." In more ways than one, of course, once they'd exchanged proper bites.  


  
Alec shivered under the weight of his full name and dropped his hands to the button of his jeans, only to have his hands knocked away. He looked up, ready to protest, only to gasp at the realization of how close Magnus was standing. 

  
"Trust me," Magnus breathed, cupping Alec through his jeans, giving his cock a squeeze, just to watch him gasp. "Will make you feel so good." 

  
"That," Alec said, shuddering as Magnus quickly got his jeans undone and down his legs. "I have never doubted for a second." 

  
Magnus snorted and rolled his eyes, turning down the blankets before he looked at the omega and gestured to the bed. "Come on," he said, climbing on the bed. 

  
Alec glared at him, but climbed onto the bed and stretched out, letting his head fall into the pillows. "I haven't done this before, I don't know what I'm doing." 

  
"You don't need to do anything, sweetheart," Magnus breathed, reaching out to cup Alec's cheek in the palm of his hand. He pulled him in for a gentle kiss and leaned into it with a groan. "You're perfect, just the way you are." 

  
Protesting while the alpha was pressing steadily closer and closer to him was  _ not  _ something that Alec was going to do. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Magnus' waist, trailing his fingertips along the warm brown skin. "You're beautiful," he whispered against Magnus' lips, kissing him softly. "So beautiful, my alpha." 

  
Magnus groaned and pressed into the kiss, dropping his hand to Alec's ass, giving a firm squeeze, just to watch as he gasped, his hips bucking forward against his will. "I think you need to look in a mirror, darling," he whispered. 

  
Alec shook his head and tried not to whine as he rocked his hips again, rubbing against Magnus, his whole body hot, and their scents slowly climbing with arousal. He held onto Magnus tighter as the alpha coaxed him into a rhythm, the both of them rubbing against each other, but he wanted more. Alec growled and pressed his hand to Magnus' shoulder, forcing him to lie back against the bed, before straddling his waist. 

  
Alec smirked, tilting his chin up triumphantly. "This is okay?" he asked. 

  
"Perfect," Magnus praised, licking his lips. He lifted his hands behind his head and spread his legs a little, forcing Alec to scoot forward so they could both get the proper friction they needed. "I am yours to do with as you like, Alexander."

  
Alec stared down at Magnus for a long moment, taking in the sight of all the skin in front of him, and Magnus' glowing golden eyes, swallowing slowly before leaning down to nuzzle into his alpha's neck, their bare skin pressing together. "Want everything, Magnus," he breathed, rocking down to grind against Magnus. "Everything, alpha. Want you to teach me." 

  
Magnus purred and tilted his head back, gasping at the first hard bite against his skin, even though it remained unbroken. "I'll teach you anything and everything you like darling," he promised, continuing to stare at Alec. "We can do everything, and I'll teach you." 

  
_"Yes,"_ Alec growled, pleased, rocking his hips down harder, and more eagerly. He closed his eyes and exhaled hard against his alpha's neck, inhaling the scent of his arousal and everything that he wanted. He licked his lips and kissed at Magnus' neck, finding a good position to grind against his alpha, slowly building up a rhythm to move faster. 

  
"We can, just like this," Magnus promised, sliding his hands up Alec's thighs, squeezing them, before he reached Alec's hips and tugged him down and into the next thrust up of his hips, savoring the loud, surprised moan it wrenched from the omega. "Feel so good, darling," he praised. 

  
Alec bit down on his lip and whined, unable to keep from grinding down harder against Magnus, staring down at the way their cocks rubbed through the fabric of their boxers, wet spots at the tip, the scent of his slick starting to sink into the room. "You don't want more?" he breathed, whining as Magnus pulled him into another grind of his hips. A quick shift of Magnus' hands tugging him upward to reposition him and then the alpha was grinding against his ass, making him gasp and shudder. 

  
Magnus chuckled and helped to guide Alec's movements as he kept moving and grinding with the slow drag of his hips. "We have all the time in the world, darling omega. This is just one to take the edge off." 

  
Alec whined, his whole body shuddering, surging up to kiss Magnus hard and desperate, pressing him back into the pillows as two more hard grinds against his alpha had him coming and making an absolute mess of his boxers. It felt like too much and not enough all at once, and he slumped, barely able to hold himself upright, flushing in embarrassment. He could still feel how hard his alpha was, how slick he was even now, hell he could  _ smell  _ it in the air and he shivered, trying to catch his breath. 

  
_"Perfect,"_ Magnus breathed, pulling Alec down and into another kiss, wrapping his arms around his omega's shoulders, keeping their chests pressed together. "No worrying. You're perfect, that was perfect." 

  
"Pretty sure," Alec whispered against Magnus' lips. "Failing to get all of my clothes off doesn't constitute as perfect." 

  
Magnus gave a low purr in his throat and kissed the omega again. "On the contrary. It does indeed. And if you like, I can get rid of those for us?" 

  
Alec shivered and flushed, staring at Magnus. "Yes," he managed, groaning as there was suddenly no fabric between them. 

  
"Now, if you'll allow me," Magnus said, rolling Alec underneath him, pressing him back and into the sheets. "I have a great many things I'd like to teach you, Alexander." 

  
Alec's breath caught and he let himself be swept away by Magnus' kisses. 

  
~!~

  
Later, after they'd made a mess of themselves, showered together, and made another few messes, they were curled together on the couch under a blanket, watching the fireplace that Magnus had started up with nothing more than a snap of his fingers. Alec turned and nuzzled his nose into Magnus' neck, breathing out quietly. The scent of his alpha was warm and comforting, and he didn't ever want to lose it, wanted to just stay wrapped in it like he was, forever. But that wasn't realistic, for either of them. 

  
Alec reached up and pressed his fingertips to the Mark over Magnus' heart. The simple design that all True Mates received (though the intricate nature of the mark was specific to each Pair), that told them there was someone out there made for them. The design turned from black ink to gold when they were found. The gold ink looked weird on his own skin, but the gold suited Magnus. 

  
"I suppose you want to talk now," Magnus said with a huff, tightening his arm around the omega, pulling him in close. "We do need to figure some things out, as you said." 

  
Alec nodded in agreement, swallowing hard. "I was thinking about that," he agreed. "I need to submit my mated paperwork to the Clave." 

  
Magnus blinked in surprise and looked at Alec. "You don't want to try to keep it a secret?" he asked. He'd thought that with how the Clave treated omegas, Alexander would want to keep their mating as quiet as possible for as long as they could, but he couldn't deny the pleasure that leaped through the bond at the idea. Everyone would know that Alec was his, and he was Alec's.  


  
_"No,"_ Alec said firmly, shaking his head. "In fact, I want to make as little of a deal about it as I can. I'll file the paperwork, just like any other mated couple at the Institute, put your name on the alpha line, and..." he shrugged. "Deal with whatever comes after that." 

  
Magnus took a second to breathe around just how much he had underestimated Alec Lightwood as a person, and as his omega. Omegas were always leaders of their people, in one way or another, and sometimes that did mean leading by example. "I'll be by your side for anything they try to do, Alexander. I doubt that they'd risk standing against me, against _us,_ considering I can sway the entire Downworld to fight them if needed." 

  
Alec snorted. "Magnus you are not going to go to war for me. We should talk about your side of things though. What are your people going to say? Mated to a Shadowhunter? A Head of an Institute?" 

  
"No one would dare say a word against me," Magnus said. He smiled. "Especially when they see that we're True Mates. There's nothing that they can say. The respect given to those mated pairs, especially when an omega is involved, is without question." He paused and leaned in to steal a soft kiss from Alec. "You may be the recipient of a few side-eyes." 

  
Alec leaned in and rested his forehead against Magnus' shoulder, smiling a little more. "I can handle that. I am more than happy to handle that," he added. He closed his eyes and reached out to their bond, gently touching the connection to Magnus, savoring how it felt to have him so close, and to feel him all of the time. "We could use this as an opportunity to talk about your moratorium? If I could bring that to the Clave as political leverage, we might be able to not only get them to accept the mating, we could-" 

  
Magnus pushed Alec onto his back on the couch and stretched out on top of him, nuzzling into his neck with a groan. "Who knew that political machinations would do it for me?" he grumbled, dragging his teeth along the marks he had already left on Alec's neck, just to hear the omega moan for him. 

  
"I _suspect,"_ Alec groaned, shifting so he could help Magnus settle into an easier position. "There are a great many things that do it for you, alpha." 

  
Magnus laughed and pulled back to grin at Alexander, stealing another kiss. "When you are involved, darling omega, nothing could be more correct." 

  
It was easy to lose themselves in each other again, but when Alec's alarm went off several hours later, reminding him that his twenty-four hours were up, he was reluctant to leave. Alec fought down the urge to go and burrow his way into Magnus' blankets all over again, losing himself in the glorious scent of the alpha, of _them_ together. 

  
"Do you want me to come with you?" Magnus asked, watching as Alec finished lacing his boots and put his stele into the holster. After a brief moment of consideration, Alec had decided against using an iratze, and he was having a hard time looking away from the marks on Alec's neck that were visible for all to see. 

  
Alec shook his head. "No, it's going to be for the best that you don't. I don't want them thinking that you've put me under some kind of spell before I've had a chance to explain we're mated." 

  
Magnus let out a small growl and stepped closer to Alec, dropping his hands to his hips, tugging him in slowly, nuzzling into his neck. "I'm having a hard time letting you go," he admitted, scenting Alec again. 

  
"I'm having a hard time leaving," Alec said softly, pressing his nose to Magnus' neck. "But I'll see you tonight. It might be late, but I will come to see you at Pandemonium tonight." 

  
"You're certainly going to cause a stir," Magnus teased, licking his lips. "But this'll be the best way to announce to the Downworld that we are mated. And to know that you are _mine."  
_

  
_"Possessive,"_ Alec teased, pulling back to look at Magnus again. The bond sang with their mutual pleasure at the possessiveness. They were both possessive, in their own respective ways. 

  
Magnus smirked and stole another kiss. "Always, for you, darling. Now, go meet with your family and people, and I'll see you tonight." 

  
Alec gave a firm nod and turned to the door, making it two steps before he groaned, spun around, and buried his nose in Magnus' neck, scraping his teeth over the pulse point he could feel rabbiting there. "Mating bites soon?" he whispered, relaxing when Magnus' arms came around him and he could feel the alpha mimicking the pose. 

  
_"Soon,"_ Magnus promised with a growl. "You'll wear my bite and I'll wear yours and there is no one who would dare to keep us apart, Alexander." 

  
Alec nodded and managed to extricate himself from Magnus' arms one last time before he turned and headed out the door. He'd see the alpha later in the evening, but for now, he needed to see to his own people, and begin finding a way to explain this.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES THERE IS AN EPILOGUE. 
> 
> We have to see how the folks at the Institute and Ragnor and Catarina react, don't we? ;) 
> 
> Thank you for all of the responses everyone - again it's been AMAZING!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE LONG-AWAITED EPILOGUE!! 
> 
> Okay more like a week, due to a finger injury that rendered me unable to type. I am better, the epilogue has been finished, it's like 1/3 the length of the entire fic because I cannot write short things, and y'all aren't ready for some of the feels. 
> 
> SPEAKING OF FEELS!! If you have not checked out Lawsofchaos' AMAAAAAZING addition to this verse - please make sure to check it out  
> [HERE!!!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29356317) It does an AMAZING job writing Isaiah Brownfoot's perspective (the OC that I borrowed from her for this fic), and it's just heart-wrenchingly brilliant. 
> 
> Now, without FURTHER ado - THE EPILOGUE!

  
As Alec stepped out of the apartment building in Brooklyn, right on time, his phone rang with a call from Underhill and Alec picked it up, smiling, taking a deep breath in the fresh air. So much had changed in only a few hours. "Lightwood." 

  
"It’s good to hear your voice, sir," Andrew said, giving Isaiah a nod, carefully eyeing his still stiff posture, likely from having kept his vigil through the night. "I have all urgent work that couldn't be assigned elsewhere waiting for you when you get back." 

  
"I'm on my way now," Alec promised, breaking into a jog. "I want both my siblings waiting in my office when I arrive, and I will call you and Isaiah in shortly after. There have been some developments that we need to discuss." 

  
Andrew's attention sharpened, his hand around the phone tensing, the plastic creaking in the strength of his grip. Isaiah’s eyes were on him, sharp and intense. "Will action be required?" 

  
"Not the kind that you're thinking," Alec said, fighting down another grin. He hadn’t seemed to stop being able to smile after having found Magnus. It was like some part of him was unable to contain the joy constantly bouncing through their bond. "But we  _ are  _ about to have a Clave shitstorm descend on us, and we're going to need to be ready for it." 

  
Andrew waited for two beats, considering the words, and the tone behind them before he nodded, his lips lifting into a faint smirk. "Good thing we're used to those, sir." 

  
Alec grinned. "Good man. I'll see you both shortly." 

  
"Yes sir," Andrew said, hanging up the phone. Without Isaiah saying another word, he led the way into one of the empty conference rooms adjacent to Operations and shut the door behind them.

  
Isaiah took a deep, steadying breath. “He’s…?” He couldn’t make himself finish the sentence, to hear that Alec had lost some part of himself that he would never get back. 

  
“He seems well,” Andrew said, slowly. When Isaiah narrowed his eyes into a glare, he lifted his hands. “I know how he sounds when he’s stressed or angry. He sounded the same way he does coming off patrol with his siblings. No concerns, just focused on the work ahead. Which, according to him, involves a Clave political storm.” 

  
Isaiah blinked and frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.” 

  
“No, it doesn’t,” Andrew agreed. “But I’m to have Isabelle and Jace waiting in his office when he arrives, and then we’ll be briefed afterward.” 

  
“All right,” Isaiah said with a nod. “Isabelle is already up and out of the infirmary. I’ll collect her, if you’ll get Jace?” 

  
“Oh yeah, give me the hard job,” Andrew grumbled, opening the door to the conference room. 

  
~!~

  
Alec tucked his phone into his pocket and started to run quicker. The sooner he got back to the Institute, the sooner he could tell everyone exactly what had happened. Magnus was doing the same right now, speaking to two of his dearest friends (that had been willing to help him kidnap a shadowhunter, according to Magnus), about what had happened. About what they were now, what they were going to _do._   


  
Stopping in front of the Institute for a moment, Alec squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. He was well-aware of exactly what he looked like, his neck covered in very obvious marks around his runes, and his scent was very  _ thoroughly  _ mixed with that of his alpha. Anyone who was around him for more than a few seconds would realize where he had been. Taking another second to steady himself for what was waiting behind those doors, he walked through the glamour. _Confidence._ He simply had to breathe, and ignore any questions, or those who would stop him. 

  
Notification of his mating (and Alec couldn’t help the happy spark of joy that shot through the bond, returned almost immediately by Magnus) would be sent to all of his staff in the Institute, as well as the Clave, and he would send it out after discussing things with everyone who deserved to know. Thankfully, Andrew and Isaiah were waiting for him just inside the doors, and he met both of their eyes confidently as he strode forward and took the tablet he was offered. "Thank you, Andrew." 

  
It was easy to smell just how sour and worried their scents were, and Alec wanted nothing more than to reassure them that everything was fine, that everything was going to be fine in a way that he, that _they_ had never thought possible. The last twenty-four hours had brought about a great many changes in his life. But explaining what those changes were would have to wait until they were alone and had a moment or two of privacy.

  
Andrew's eyes widened and he forced his eyes off of the sight of the marks on Alec’s neck, his stomach turning in revulsion. "Sir!" 

  
"I'll meet with you shortly to explain," Alec said, flipping through the urgent reports, keeping his head down to read them as he started to stride toward his office, glad when the alpha and the beta stepped into formation behind him, the route suspiciously clear of any other shadowhunters. He had no doubt that the two men had made certain that he would not be questioned by anyone when he returned. Stopping at the door in his antechamber, he turned to them both and offered a quick smile. 

  
"It's all right. In fact, it's better than we think. I’ve not been hurt, or forced into anything," he said, lowering his voice now that they were alone. Alec watched both of them relax a fraction, though Isaiah’s shoulders were still tense. "We are, however, about to have a major political movement in our favor happen, thanks to what’s been going on. Let me explain to my siblings, and then I'll call you both in for a debrief." 

  
Isaiah and Andrew watched him step into the office and close the door behind him before they shared a look. 

  
“He does seem all right,” Andrew offered, his voice soft. “Perhaps he was blessed by the angel that Bane spared him any-” 

  
“Don’t underestimate his ability to pretend that everything is fine for the sake of others,” Isaiah said, his voice tight. “You know better than most how good he has needed to become at that.” 

  
Andrew snapped his mouth shut and nodded. “I do,” he allowed. “I will keep the faith for both of us that he truly is all right.” He sent up a brief prayer to Raziel that Alec had truly been returned in one piece. 

  
~!~ 

  
Alec took a deep breath and smiled at Izzy and Jace as he locked the door and put a silencing rune on it before walking past the both of them to sit in his chair. Jace might have had as many broken noses as he did (or more, if he was being honest), but Izzy had an impeccable nose and it was only going to take a second for her to-

  
"Angel's above, Alec, have you been on a bender?" Izzy asked, her eyes widening. She looked at his neck and whistled. "You look like you've been fucking  _ mauled. _ I know we've been telling you to get laid, big brother, but-"

  
Alec held up his hand to halt the commentary from her, as amusing as it was, and looked to his parabatai, smiling. "Am I hurt, upset, or angry?" 

_  
"No," _ Jace said, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown. "In fact, you're disgustingly happy and well-satisfied. It's annoying." 

  
Alec took another deep breath and decided to dive right in, because there truly was no correct way to explain all of this.  _ "Right. _ There's no easy way to say this, but I wanted you two to be the first to know." 

  
Both Izzy and Jace’s gazes sharpened, sitting up in their seats, all hints of teasing and joking gone.

  
"I'm mated. I’ve found my True Mate, and we’ve consummated the bond, but we have not exchanged formal bites yet." Alec said and waited. He watched the shock land on their faces before he gave them the second half of that blow. "Turns out you even know who it is. My alpha is Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld." 

  
Izzy blinked. 

  
Jace frowned and then blinked. 

  
Alec waited a few more seconds before he snorted and raised his eyebrows at them. "Come on, I know I get more reaction than that." 

  
Izzy frowned as well, staring at him. "He said that you would never see him again after he left the Institute, from what I heard. How the hell did you end up meeting with him so you could get a proper sniff in?" 

  
"That's a long story that I am happy to tell you at a later date, but," Alec cleared his throat and looked between them. "I am planning to submit my mating notification to the Clave and send out the information to the rest of the Institute. Since he, obviously, cannot be my Co-Head, there will be some logistical concerns, but we will figure things out." 

  
"You can't be serious, Alec," Jace said, scowling. "He's the playboy of the Downworld! You don't know that he isn't playing you, just making it up!”

  
Alec looked up from the paperwork he had pulled onto his desk. "Don’t I? Because I'm bonded to him now, we share the same fulfilled mark, and, not to brag, but I have a pretty good idea of what his motivations are." He met Jace's eyes and let a small smirk grow on his lips. "They're mostly to get me naked." 

  
Izzy whooped, right as Jace pulled a face in disgust. "Get it, hermano!" She stood up and moved around the desk, wrapping Alec in a tight hug. "Angels, Alec, you smell way too much like Magnus, he's certainly earning that playboy title, huh?" 

  
"Shut up," Alec grumbled, grinning as he hugged her back and released her, turning to face Jace and the still irritated expression on his face. "Jace, this isn't going to mean-"

  
"Oh for angel's sake," Jace growled, wrapping Alec up in a hug. "I'm happy that I won't have to share you with another shadowhunter. That would have pissed me off so much." 

  
Alec rolled his eyes but squeezed Jace back as tight as he could. "I'm glad my mating pleases you." He looked at both of them and smiled. "And thank you for not burning the place down while I was out. Now, I have to meet with Isaiah and Underhill to pass the information to them." 

  
"I want details, Alec!" Izzy called, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'll let you get away without them for now, but I'm going to get those details! Enemies to mates, it's like a fairy tale!" 

  
"A logistical nightmare of a fairy tale," Alec said under his breath, watching as they both made their way out of his office, Isaiah and Underhill stepping in a moment later. Once the door was shut behind them, he sank down into his chair again and gestured for the both of them to take a seat. 

  
When both of them were seated, ramrod straight in front of his desk, their eyes darting down to the marks on his neck, but neither of them asking a question, he sighed. "You know, sometimes this is easier with Izzy and Jace because at least they're nosy enough to ask what’s happened." 

  
"It's your life, Alec," Isaiah said, keeping his eyes focused on Alec’s because if he looked at those marks again, he would march straight to Brooklyn to put a seraph blade through Magnus Bane’s heart, Accords be damned. "Your body. What you choose to do with it-"

  
"He's my True Mate," Alec interrupted, cutting Isaiah off before he could continue to think that anything bad, or nonconsensual had happened. When they both continued to stare, he offered up the rest of the story. "As it turns out, Magnus had thought I ordered some poor omega under my command to sacrifice themselves, and when it was me that showed up, he was surprised enough that we talked." 

  
Andrew blinked and straightened up in his chair, his eyes widening. "And that led to the two of you discovering you're True Mates?" 

  
Alec smiled and nodded, letting some of his happiness and excitement show. "Something along those lines. He'd wanted to protect the omega he thought I was abusing and had planned to go as far as kidnap them to keep them safe. He'd never had any intention of going through with the deal. In fact, before we figured things out, the idea of it seemed to make him physically ill.”

  
Isaiah leaned back in his chair and blew out a hard breath, the sheer power of the relief hitting him enough to drain the stubbornness that had kept him going over the past twenty-four hours. "Well,” he managed, continuing to watch Alec, cataloging his reactions carefully. “That's unexpected." 

  
"An understatement," Alec said, snorting. "I want the both of you to be aware, I'm about to submit my mated paperwork to the Clave and send out a notification to the Institute. Later this evening, I will be going to Pandemonium, alone with Magnus, to ah, _present_ the news to the Downworld." 

  
Isaiah started to laugh, exhaustion and relief mixing his head up enough that he could barely see straight. Alec was not only  _ safe, _ he was  **happy,** he was  _ mated,  _ and somehow, he was mated to one of the strongest people living. "The two of you, together? You are going to turn the world on its head." 

  
Alec grinned. "That's just the start of it." 

  
Andrew raised his eyebrows. "Is it? What more could there be?" 

  
Alec turned his attention back to Underhill. "I now happen to have the power to bring the entire Downworld to the table to renegotiate the Accords, and in return, their moratorium on assisting shadowhunters. So we are going to need a full report on how many shadowhunters across every Institute have died without downworld assistance and help - including wards, healing, information, anything you can think of since the formal separation of the downworld from the Clave.” 

  
Andrew's eyes widened and he looked down at his tablet, taking notes down quickly. "It's going to take time to gather that information." 

  
"And it's going to take time to organize a rewrite of the Accords," Alec said. "Magnus Bane is willing to bring his people, and those from every faction to the table, and has made it _explicitly_ clear that I am the  _ only  _ one he will work with that is a full-fledged member of the Clave." 

  
"Which directly implies… that not only do you have Magnus Bane on your side,” Isaiah started. "You have the full weight and support of the Downworld itself behind you if anything happens to you or you were threatened." 

  
Alec raised both of his eyebrows and gave a faint smile. "I did tell Magnus that he was not allowed to go to war for me. That is in no one’s best interest and is something that I am sure neither Magnus nor I want.” His smile gave way to a smirk. “However, if that threat is... seen but not explicitly heard? That would be for the best." 

  
"I don't know what I expected when you came back," Andrew said with a shake of his head. "But it wasn't this." 

  
Isaiah remained silent. He’d known what to expect. Had tried to steel himself against the imagined image of Alec flinching from touch, of Alec struggling to laugh, the spark gone from his eyes as he buried himself in his work, trying to escape the reminders. 

  
Alec smiled faintly. "I feel the same way. I didn't expect any of this, nor did I expect Magnus, or for this to lead to meeting my True Mate, who is a warlock, and one of the most powerful ones living, on top of that." 

  
"There’s also the matter of how the Downworld views omegas like yourself, Alec," Isaiah said, his voice soft, meeting his eyes steadily. “To the Downworld - you are a leader, first and foremost. Where you have earned that respect here, to them, it is almost expected of you.” 

  
"Which..." Andrew trailed off, continuing the thought a moment later. "You’ve already done all on your own. You’ve regularly shown the Clave that you are a leader and have done more for omegas, and downworlders, than many of the previous generations of Nephilim.” 

  
Alec smirked, staring the both of them down. "Precisely. Which means that we are about to be in the political fight of our lives against the Clave. However, unlike before, this time, we have a winning hand, and everyone is going to know it. Should make things a bit easier." When both of them started to laugh, any of the sourness of their scents fading, Alec knew that he had them, and that was all he really needed to start making change happen. 

  
"Well," Andrew said, standing up. "I'll get started on reaching out to other Institutes." He held out his hand and shook Alec's. "Congratulations on your mating, Alec. I am very,  _ very  _ happy for you." 

  
Alec nodded his thanks, swallowing hard, even as Andrew made his way out, and turned back to Isaiah, who was standing as well, and hesitated before meeting the alpha’s eyes. He’d left without saying goodbye to Isaiah and the weight of that decision sat between the two of them. Once the door was shut behind Andrew, he lifted his eyes and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.” 

  
Isaiah shook his head. “You don’t need to be sorry. I understand why you did.” 

  
Alec swallowed. “Do you?” he asked. 

  
“It was what you needed,” Isaiah said, his voice softening. He watched Alec, his Head of Institute, his son in all but name, walk around the desk to approach him and he managed a smile. “It’s all right that you did what you needed at that moment, Alec.” 

  
“I was terrified,” Alec whispered. “The only thing I could do was, was focus on getting through it. And if I’d-” 

  
_“Alec,”_ Isaiah interrupted, stepping closer to him, touching his arm gently. “It’s all right. I promise.” 

  
Alec's throat was tight and he nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor, taking a slow, deep breath. He leaned in, just a fraction, and let Isaiah pull him into a hug, his eyes closing in relief as the alpha hugged him close. "I would have liked the chance to ask for your approval," he said, quietly.

  
"I think, after a brief conversation with your alpha, I would have given it," Isaiah said, smiling faintly as he stepped back with one last squeeze, falling into parade rest easily. "I can smell how happy you are, Alec. I can  _ see  _ it." He paused. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen you smile this much since the first time you knocked Jace on his ass in training.” 

  
Alec barked out a laugh, blinking hard as Isaiah kept smiling at him. 

  
Isaiah held out his hand. "I am very proud of you, Alec, in every possible way.” As a Second in Command, and as a Father went unsaid. “And no matter how all of this ends up, this Institute will be behind you." He paused as he shook Alec's hand and smirked. "You  _ and  _ Magnus." 

  
Alec breathed out a sigh of relief, and for what seemed to be the millionth time since Isaiah had stood side-by-side with him since he had unofficially (and officially) taken over the Institute, thanked the man beside him. “Thank you.” 

  
“You know you never have to thank me, Alec,” Isaiah said. “Not for this. Now get some rest, catch up on your paperwork, and Andrew and I will handle any inquiries coming your way.” 

  
Alec nodded his thanks as Isaiah left him to his paperwork and pulled out the form that he needed to fill out about his completed mating and stared at it. Mated. He was  _ mated. _ Alec shook himself and started to fill it out. It was one of the simplest forms he’d filled out in months, and putting Magnus’ name under the alpha line sent a thrill through him. 

  
Once that was done and sent off, he turned his attention to the paperwork that had piled up in his absence. A chime of his phone, a pop of displacement in the air in front of him, and then there was a steaming cup of coffee that smelled heavenly and looked suspiciously like the one that had spent the entire day sitting on the kitchen counter. Checking his phone for a text saw one from Magnus that was nothing more than a winky face. 

  
Alec wrapped his hand around the coffee and took a sip with a pleased hum, not bothering to hide his grin. Coffee always did make the paperwork easier. 

  
~!~

  
Magnus stared at the shut door that Alec had oh-so hesitantly closed behind him and sank into a chair that he moved beneath himself with a wave of his fingers. He closed his eyes and took in a pleased, slow inhale of the scent of Alec that still lingered in the loft. Even now, he could _smell_ how happy Alec was, could feel it singing along the bond in a constant, low-grade thrum. He could even feel it in the way that he was more than a little sore after all of their adventures across the loft in the past day. 

  
He leaned back against the soft cushions and fought down the urge to grin. _Mated._ He was mated. 

  
After almost five centuries on the planet, decades in hell, and even more debating if the mark over his heart had been a mistake, some cosmic joke meant to make a mockery of just how willingly he would give his heart away…

  
Now, he was mated. And not _just_ mated. Mated to an _omega._

  
Magnus blew out a hard breath, barely able to believe it. That he’d been picked by an omega, and not only that but an omega who seemed to fit him in every possible way. He dropped his face into his hands and tried not to let his mind race too far ahead. To thoughts of what was once impossible - _children_ \- did Alexander even want children? - were now, suddenly, possible, though obviously, that depended on his mate. 

  
Not only that, but once they shared bites, they’d… 

  
Magnus fought down the urge to burst into excited laughter. His True Mate, not born an immortal, hadn’t _hesitated,_ Alexander, somehow, for some reason, wanted to be with him forever. It felt like an impossible dream. It seemed beyond possibility that at every single turn, the mess at the New York Institute had somehow morphed into a situation that was going to change the entire Shadow World for the better. 

  
Staring up at the ceiling, Magnus imagined the look on Imogen Herondale and Jia Penhallow’s faces as they found out that not only was Alec Lightwood mated, but he was mated to a High Warlock, the one who had led the Downworld to freedom from under the Accords. A giggle burst out of Magnus’ lips against his will and he surged out of his chair, heading towards the kitchen. At the sight of the coffee still sitting there, Magnus picked up the one that did not belong to him and pulled out his phone, warming the coffee up while he flipped to a new text to Alexander.  


  
With a quick snap of his fingers, he had sent the coffee to its proper recipient and sent a text to go along with it. But now, he had to do his own meeting with his friends, and other Downworld leaders. His mating was going to change many things between the Downworld and Shadowhunters if they had any sort of say in it, and it was time to get started on that. Beginning first with his two closest friends. 

  
Magnus fought down a grin that refused to fade as he thought about breaking the news to the both of them, summoning a portal into Ragnor’s living room for himself. He had had several texts from Catarina and Ragnor and rather than try to explain all of _this_ over the phone, he was going to meet them both at Ragnor’s and, and explain. 

  
Magnus took in another slow, deep inhale of Alexander’s scent before he stepped through, an incandescent grin still on his face. Stepping into Ragnor’s living room, he was immediately hit with the acrid scent of their fear and worry and he froze, staring at his two dearest friends. “What’s wrong?” 

  
Catarina stared at Magnus, her own scent souring as she took in the scents pouring off of her friend. “Magnus, how can you _ask_ us that?” She straightened her spine and stared at him. “How, how  _ could  _ you? To an omega? Who, who you know had been _ordered-"_ _  
_

  
Magnus’ mouth fell open and he stared at Cat, belatedly realizing how his entrance must have looked. He spun to Ragnor, but was met with the same serious look and sadness tinging Ragnor’s scent. “Ragnor, you know that I would never, that I could  _ never-” _

  
“Magnus,” Ragnor said, his voice gentle. “You _know_ what you smell like right now. Did you think we wouldn’t realize? Or that we wouldn’t care?” 

  
“No, of course-” Magnus cut himself off and stared at the both of them, the sickening feeling of _wrong_ curling tighter in his stomach. “I, I didn't, hadn't…” 

  
“You told us both to meet you here, that things had _changed,”_ Catarina said. “Magnus, I don’t-” 

  
“He’s my True Mate!” Magnus blurted, horror creeping over him in waves at what they must have hoped, prayed not to be true. “He, fuck,” he held up both of his hands and took a deep breath. “Fuck, let me _explain,_ I should have tried to explain via text, I'm sorry, it's just so... Nothing is wrong. Everything is very, _very_ right, and, fuck, please, you know that I would never-” 

  
Ragnor stood up and reached out to touch Magnus’ forearm, calming him as his friend and fellow alpha stared at them both desperately. “We know that you would never force an omega, Magnus. We do know that, I promise.” He squeezed Magnus’ arm, taking in the fear and wild insecurity of his scent. “Tell us what happened.” 

  
Magnus stared at them, his eyes darting between the both of them, agitation and concern bleeding into his scent before he shook himself. "Right, okay," he murmured, sinking down onto a couch across from the both of them. "So, several things happened. First and foremost is the fact that some random omega Nephilim didn't show up at my door. Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute, did." 

  
Catarina blinked and stared at him. 

  
Ragnor raised an eyebrow at Magnus and sank into his armchair again, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, that definitely put a wrinkle in our plans, didn't it?" 

  
"An understatement," Magnus said. He looked down at his rings and started to twist one around his fingers. "I, I obviously had no intention of doing anything, but he'd..." he swallowed and hung his head. "Cat, you were right." 

  
Catarina raised both of her eyebrows. "Oh?" 

  
"Those fire messages I ignored? Not only did Lightwood offer to wipe crimes from wrongfully accused warlocks, werewolves and vampires, he offered to remove the banishment for wrongfully accused Downworlders." Magnus paused and took another deep breath. "Even even went so far as to offer an Exclusionary Note, blank and signed, for me to use as I liked," he heard both of their breath catch and gave a rueful smile. "Oh yes. He was willing to face the tribunal from the Inquisitor that would have meant if it saved his people." 

  
_"Lilith below,_ Magnus," Ragnor cursed. 

  
Magnus nodded. "I was made fully and completely aware of exactly what I had pushed them into - and how it became the offer that was made to me." He looked up at his friends. "I don't think there will ever come a day for the rest of my life that I do not regret the cruelty of what I did to them. The only saving grace among all of it is that I met Alexander as a result." 

  
He paused and pushed his fingers through his hair. "We fought. Not physically, but he was adamant about the Institute not being in my debt. Went so far as to prep himself ahead of time, in case I didn't want to be kind enough to do that." 

  
Catarina and Ragnor flinched together. 

  
Magnus winced and nodded. "I ordered him to leave," he continued. "But..." he trailed off, wonder echoing in his voice. "He _refused._ Even, even after it all came out. He went back inside and just... began reading my Clave file aloud to me? Correcting it as he went?" 

  
Ragnor let out a startled laugh. "This boy really is your match, isn't he?" 

  
"He is," Magnus agreed, his voice soft. He lifted his eyes to Catarina, who was still staring at him. Her scent had gone flat, but it was no longer the sour scent of anger and disapproval. "Even after we, after we figured it out. Realized what we _were._ I ordered him out, because..." he trailed off, his eyes fluttering shut. "Scent drunk doesn't begin to describe it." 

  
"Yes, yes, spare us the details of _that,"_ Ragnor ordered with a handwave. 

  
Magnus cleared his throat. "No details, but I wanted you to know that he decided to prove to me that he wasn't scent drunk when I refused to even kiss him." 

  
Catarina laughed and shook her head, raising her eyebrows. "And how did he do that?" 

  
Magnus smiled faintly. "He decided to go get us coffee. And then came back." He paused and swallowed hard. "He could have run. He got far enough, for long enough, for the draw to be at least dulled that if he wanted to... he could have run." 

  
"But he came _back,"_ Ragnor said, a smile curving his lips. "Because of course he did, Magnus." 

  
Magnus let a surprised laugh escape him and nodded, dropping his face to his hands. "After, when the bond snapped into place, it's..." he shook his head. "I wish I could describe it." 

  
"Well," Ragnor said, shaking his head. "Suffice to say, Magnus, that that whole mess turned out in the best possible way." 

  
Magnus looked up at his two best friends who were smiling, their scents now warm and pleased and relaxed until Ragnor stood up with a grumble and spread his arms. "I get my once-in-a-century hug?" he asked, teasing. 

  
Ragnor huffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't get used to it," he muttered, squeezing Magnus tight. "But I am very, very pleased for you my friend. I knew something had to have happened, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined for you." 

  
Magnus leaned into Ragnor and let the last of the tension fall off of him. "I was chosen by an _omega,_ Ragnor. I, if he wants, I could have children, we could have a _family,_ and..."

  
"I know," Ragnor said, pulling back to grin at Magnus. "I know, my dear friend. And I have never been more pleased and excited for you." 

  
Magnus grinned and laughed when Catarina pulled him away from Ragnor and into another tight hug. He couldn't smell or feel any anger on her and it made all the difference in the world. "Cat, I'm mated!" 

  
Catarina rolled her eyes. "About time you settled down, wild boy. You going to go all domestic on us?" 

  
A happy sigh at the idea of Alexander moving into the loft, of the two of them spending their evenings quietly together, left him and Magnus nodded. _"Absolutely."_ As Ragnor summoned them all champagne to celebrate, Magnus remembered the other half of everything that he and Alexander had planned. 

  
"While I am beyond thrilled to tell you, and everyone else about my mating, that's not the most exciting aspect of this!" Magnus rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Because my darling Alexander is not beyond using our mating for political machinations against the Clave, and to say that I am on board with his ideas is an understatement.” 

  
Ragnor and Catarina shared a look. 

  
Catarina shook her head. “He really is your perfect match, isn’t he?” 

  
Magnus looked at her and grinned, bright and wide. “You have no idea.” 

  
~!~

  
Later, standing outside of Pandemonium, ignoring the downworlders staring a shocked hole in him, Alec tightened his grip on his phone and nearly sagged in relief when Magnus stepped out of the front door. 

  
“There you are darling,” Magnus said, stepping up close to Alec, stealing a kiss from him, taking his hand. “Ready to make a splash?” 

  
“Lead the way alpha,” Alec breathed against Magnus’ lips, just to watch his eyes flare gold. 

  
Magnus laughed. _“Tease,”_ he growled, leaning in to nuzzle and scent his omega, able to feel the surprise radiating from the scents of everyone watching the both of them. “But damn if I don’t love it. Come on.” 

  
Alec bit down a laugh and let Magnus tug him into Pandemonium amid the gawking downworlders. Inside it was loud, but the weight of the stares got even heavier and Alec stayed close to Magnus. “You sure this is a good idea?” he asked, well-aware that some of the vampires and wolves in the area could hear him. 

  
Magnus tugged Alec up to the dias and smirked as he cast a spell around the both of them to make it easier to talk to each other. “Sometimes, my darling, you simply have to rip the bandaid off.” 

  
_“Well,”_ Alec breathed, wrapping his arms around Magnus, leaning in to nuzzle the marks he had left along his neck. “I think we found out what a fan I am of things being ripped off.” 

  
Magnus laughed again, tilting his head back with a happy groan, tightening his hold on Alec, well-aware that everyone could smell just how possessive his scent was. “We did indeed, Alexander.” He buried his fingers in Alec’s hair and gave a gentle tug so they were facing each other again. “Ready to set the gossips of the world on fire?” 

  
_“Yes,”_ Alec growled. “I want everyone to know that you are very firmly off the market.” 

  
A shiver of delight and arousal shot up his spine and Magnus felt his glamour flicker, just for a brief moment, but it was clear that Alec had caught it, his eyes going hot and intense. “I have no objections to you making sure that everyone is aware, Alexander.” 

  
Alec smirked and licked his lips. “Then you should let everyone know that I am very, very happily your omega.” He heard the gasps around them as he made it clear just what they were, and let Magnus pull him in even closer. 

  
“Alexander, it is my exquisite pleasure,” Magnus breathed, tugging him down and to meet his lips. It felt like years since they had last kissed properly, even though it had been only hours, and he didn’t break away from Alec until they both needed air. “How’s that?” 

  
Alec hummed, swaying in closer to his alpha, drunk on the scent of his arousal and how  _ good _ kissing him was, pressing their lips together for another long moment. “Perfect,” he whispered against Magnus’ lips, leaning their foreheads together. “How long do you think it’s going to take the Downworld to know?” 

  
Magnus grinned. “About five minutes. Maybe less depending on how fast someone tells Oberon. How long til the Clave knows?” 

  
"I sent out the mating notification before I left. Pretty sure the cat is already out of the bag,” Alec said, relaxing into Magnus’ arms as they kissed again, slow and lazy. 

  
“Well, you know there’s only one thing to be done then,” Magnus teased, grinning up at Alec. “Dance with me, darling?” 

  
Alec frowned, wrinkling his nose. “I can’t dance.” 

  
Magnus hummed, tugging on Alec’s hair, bringing their lips together again. “Maybe not, but you do have an _excellent_ sense of rhythm, Alexander.” 

  
Alec flushed, staring down at Magnus. “Stop that.” 

  
“Never,” Magnus promised, taking Alec’s hand, tugging him down to the dancefloor through the gawking members of the club, grinning at his mate. 

  
Alec laughed, following Magnus through the group, even as he could start to smell some of the hostility fading from the club. Now people were staring at him with awe and surprise, and Alec lifted his chin, meeting Magnus’ blazing golden eyes when they turned to him. 

  
“Eyes on me, Alexander,” Magnus ordered, pulling him in close, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist. 

  
“That’s the only place they want to be,” Alec breathed, melting into the firm hold of Magnus’ arms and the comfort and passion they provided. When Magnus growled and yanked him into another kiss, Alec couldn’t help grinning into it. If this was what forever looked like at Magnus’ side, he was certainly not going to complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, since I told Laws this: The once-in-a-century hug is a running joke - Catarina once teased about how Ragnor looks so awkward giving hugs and Magnus shot back it's because he only gives them out once a century.
> 
> And that's IT!!! 
> 
> I don't have plans for more in this verse - but who knows what could happen in the future!! 
> 
> Thank you again, everyone, for the truly INCREDIBLE responses, and for all of you being patient!!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> Come join a Multifandom Discord Server to hangout with me and others! -  
> [The Fandom Playhouse!](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD)
> 
> You can find me here:  
> [AriaLerendeair](http://arialerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And on twitter over here:  
> [Aria_Lerendeair](https://twitter.com/Aria_Lerendeair)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [One Luminary Clock](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29356317) by [lawsofchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawsofchaos/pseuds/lawsofchaos)




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